


The Adventures of Mario & Sonic: The Secrets Awaken

by MarioLover24601, smoov22



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types, Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-07-15 11:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 112,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7221481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarioLover24601/pseuds/MarioLover24601, https://archiveofourown.org/users/smoov22/pseuds/smoov22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Please read Chapter 1 for information about the original posting. I am not the original author. Narrator of Chapter is in chapter's notes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarioLover24601](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarioLover24601/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Adventures of Mario and Sonic: The Secrets Awaken](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/207397) by SonicLover24601. 



This is a reposting of the full work by SonicLover24601 on Wattpad. I DID NOT WRITE THIS. The original author's writing is linked.

[Original Story](https://www.wattpad.com/12427364-the-adventures-of-mario-and-sonic-the-secrets)


	2. Prologue

It was cold and dark. Everything was ruined and destroyed. Deep down in the ruins stood a dark, evil hedgehog who once contained the power of a spirit called Iblis. A blue, speedy hedgehog name Sonic, though, destroyed his power. There was also a black hedgehog named Shadow and a white hedgehog named Silver who helped Sonic defeat him.   
This hedgehog was accidentally formed during the Solaris Project. There was a Sun god called Solaris, and Solaris was split into two parts; Solaris's raw power is known as Iblis, and its cunning mind is known as Mephiles. The part called Mephiles was sealed into a special sceptor, the Sceptor of Darkness, by Shadow the Hedgehog. One day, though, Shadow, the evil genius Dr. Eggman, and a greedy bat named Rouge had been in a struggle, breaking the Sceptor into pieces and allowing Mephiles to escape.   
Silver the Hedgehog was once the evil hedgehog's ally. There was also a purple, female cat name Blaze who was once his ally. Both had betrayed him.   
This evil hedgehog had the power to travel through time, similar to Shadow's ability of Chaos Control. He had once sent himself and his allies back in time to destroy the thought-to-be Iblis trigger, Sonic the Hedgehog. Some people often couldn't tell the evil hedgehog apart from Shadow the Hedgehog, according to their shape and color. The dark hedgehog is said to have taken Shadow's form by absorbing Shadow's shade and a few of Shadow's powers.   
There was a girl named Princess Elise of Soleanna, a beautiful City of Water. Legend has it that when she cried, the seal to Iblis would be broken, causing the "Flames of Disaster". One day, this evil hedgehog killed Sonic the Hedgehog. This made Elise cry, which allowed him to receive Iblis's power and transform into the Sun God Solaris. Sonic was brought back to life, though, by the seven Chaos Emeralds that are said to transform your thoughts into power, and all seven together create a miracle. At that moment, Sonic and his friends defeated Solaris. After that, Sonic and Princess Elise were taken back to the time where Solaris was just a tiny flame. Elise blew out the flame, causing the two parts, Mephiles and Iblis, to never exist, and also causing the evil hedgehog to never exist.   
But then, something powerful, something dark, something very evil happened, just a twinkle from another dimension, and yet Solaris still exists, along with this mysterious hedgehog...   
Years and years have passed, though, and the dark hedgehog has grown stronger, gaining his powers again. Once this hedgehog comes out of resting, he will be as powerful as ever.   
The hedgehog had traveled back in time to 2,000 years ago. There was a tribe of echidnas. This tribe had a princess named Tikal who could see images inside this Master Emerald. There she was, kneeling down and seeing images like she does every so often.  
"What is this? Solaris? Is this some god?" Tikal said. This echidna must not worship Solaris, the hedgehog thought.   
"Half of Solaris... Iblis... Mephiles... Sonic... Silver... Blaze... Tails... the Dark Star... Mario... MARIO??? Where in the world is there someone named MARIO???" Tikal kept observing the colossal Master Emerald, gaining more information.   
"I see... Bowser... One of his two daughters... Bowser Jr... Tails..." Her jaw dropped.  
"I understand now! I see what you're trying to tell me, Master Emerald!" She paused. Then she grinned and said,   
"Iblis has chosen." Tikal closed her eyes. "Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness...   
"But why do I need to know of this?" Tikal questioned, then paused as if the Master Emerald were 'talking to her'. Then she 'replied',   
"Yes. I understand." There was an even longer pause before Tikal blurted out, "One thousand years into the future? Master Emerald, is it important that I must be there?" The echidna princess must have been worried about how her appearance in the future would affect it.   
Tikal then sighed and commanded, "Okay, then, I will do as you command."   
The dark hedgehog's eyebrows raised.   
"No," he growled, "this mustn't happen. The prophecy must never be fulfilled!   
"I will not be resting any longer!" the hedgehog shouted, his deep, dark voice echoing through the ruins.   
"Once the exact time passes, my powers will be greater than ever! Then, once I find another way to break the seal of Iblis, I will be unstoppable! Then, the prophecy shall never be fulfilled!"  
The hedgehog traveled back in time to these games called the Olympics. There he spied on Sonic and his friends. He saw Silver and Blaze, also.   
"Traitors!" he thought.   
"Who's this?" The hedgehog saw a man with a red shirt, overalls, and a mustache. This guy also had a hat with "M" on it.   
"Hey Mario," Sonic called.   
"So this guy must be Mario," the hedgehog thought. Was this Bowser his enemy?   
Later, Dr. Eggman and a huge, monstrous turtle arrived. Dr Eggman had just captured a fox with pumpkin-orange fur and two tails, and the monstrous turtle had just arrived.   
"That must be Bowser," the hedgehog thought. What has he done? What do his minions look like? Does he make robots too? So many questions appeared the hedgehog's head.   
"His daughter must be part of the prophecy, wherever she stands now," the hedgehog thought.   
"I must follow him and Dr. Eggman," he thought. "That fox must be a part of the prophecy, also. I see Tails down on that track." This evil, treacherous, sly hedgehog was up to no good.


	3. Prologue 2

The smell was disgusting. The sewage was no usual place for a shop, but this little creature dressed in red with a cape didn't really care.  
Now, this little fellow isn't the sweetest thing. He is to return in the future, becoming more powerful than ever and bringing his bat-like master from the dead.   
Little fellow's master was destroyed by these two Italian twins named Mario and Luigi. They were inhaled into her body, and they destroyed her soul.   
One day, this little fellow possessed the powers of the Dark Star. He fought mostly with King Bowser, Mario and Luigi's archenemy, while the whole time Mario and Luigi were inside Bowser's body. The Dark fellow copied most of Bowser's DNA, creating Dark Bowser, yet it was defeated by Mario, Luigi, and the original Bowser. However, when everyone thought it was destroyed, the Dark Star fled into one other body...  
This puny thing promised not to do any more evil. When he was last seen, he was believed to have disappeared forever. But he has not, and he is not trustworthy and does not always keep his promises...  
Neighboring the Mushroom Kingdom is the Beanbean Kingdom, ruled by Queen Bean and King Bean. This Kingdom is the home of the Beanstar, a star that can grant any wish. It can only, however, be awakened by a sweet, pure voice. As far as this guy knew, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom had a pure voice.   
One day, when the puny dude's bat-like master was alive, Princess Peach's voice was thought to be kidnapped, but it was actually Birdo's ugly, scratchy voice that was kidnapped. The sound of Birdo angered the Beanstar, shattering it into four pieces. The same two twins named Mario and Luigi found all four, and they fought with the little dude's master, who was possessed inside Bowser. Then, Mario and Luigi had to fight her soul.  
Ever since the evil fellow was defeated by Mario, Luigi, and Bowser, he has been hunting Princess Peach down ever since. One of his wishes was, yes, to resurrect his master from the dead, and he could only use the Beanstar for that.  
The little evil guy had captured the Beanstar. One day, the Beanstar announced, "Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness..."  
THE BEANSTAR CAN CREATE PROPHECIES? he thought. It has never done that before... There's no way it can do that... There must be some other time when it was truly created...  
Yet the Beanstar repeated the same words;   
"Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness..."  
The little fellow walked to another room so that the Beanstar could not be angered by his pesky, ugly voice.  
"Something is special about Bowser's youngest daughter... She is a twin, by the way..." he states. "She could be destined to gobble up the 'cunning darkness'... The cunning darkness must be referred to me or my master... But who would the other one be?"  
Using a time machine he stole from Professor E. Gadd, the little fellow recited,  
"Take me to the time when the prophecy was really created!" And the time machine did so.  
The little dude ended up in some spaceship. There was a tall woman with long, blonde, silky hair, and a long, periwinkle gown. She also wore a sparkly, silver crown and held a wand with a star on it. Her eyes were closed as if she could see with her eyes shut.  
Suddenly, the woman opened her eyes. Her eyebrows raised, her mouth wide open, and she gasped.  
A cute little creature that looked somewhat like a star (but had no mouth) flew up to the woman and asked,  
"What's the matter, Mama?"  
SHE'S THAT LITTLE GUY'S MAMA? The evil dude thought to himself, covering himself with his cape. SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SHE WOULD BE ITS MAMA...  
The woman rushed toward a giant turquoise lava-like Beacon and stares at it in shock.  
"The Grand Stars are speaking to me!" she announces.  
"I see a huge, monstrous turtle named Bowser... There's his children... There's one of his daughters... Now I see two Italian twins named Mario and Luigi... Who are these animals?" The woman looked confused. The small star-like creature then demands,  
"Mama! Are you sure nothing's wrong?"  
The woman looks back at it.   
"Yes, Young Master Luma everything is fine. Worry not," she answers. Then she looks back at the Beacon.  
"I see three hedgehogs... a white one, a black one, and a blue one... What's the point?... Now I see a fox - wait, no, TWO foxes - with two tails... The female's eyes are black and she is acting like an evil villain, and the other fox is there scared... There's... fire... And this Solaris god..."  
WHO IS SOLARIS? The little evil guy thought. WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO WITH FIRE? AND THE PROPHECY?  
Suddenly, the Dark Star hovered into the starship and landed in front of the tall woman.  
"MAMA!!!!!" Young Master Luma called, "Something's wrong with the invisible force field! The Dark Star wouldn't've made it in here!"  
"Hush, my little one," the woman said softly, raising her wand. "This is helpful." Then she slowly lowered her wand.  
The Dark Star flew away quickly like a comet, then she said,  
"The Dark Star is doing somewhat of a misdeed, yet a good deed 1,000 years in the future. I know not what it would do..." she closed her eyes, looked down, and sighed. Then she opened her eyes, looked back up at the Beacon, and stated,  
"The Dark Star has chosen. There has been a prophecy." The woman closes her eyes and recites,  
"'Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness..."  
NO! The evil little dude thought. THIS CAN'T HAPPEN! THE PROPHECY MUSTN'T BE FULFILLED! Then, he quietly commands the time machine, "Take me back to my present time!" And it did so.  
Just as the puny thing dressed in red returned to his room, he announced,  
"The master will be alive once again, and with the Dark Star, the two of us'll be unstoppable! No one'll be able to dip their chips in OUR rage dressing!  
"The prophecy cannot be fulfilled! Because I... I have FURY!!!!!!!" The small thing then commands Professor E. Gadd's time machine,  
"Take me to the Two!" And once again, it did so.  
The next thing the small evil guy noticed was that he was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It seemed that this year it was holding these games called the Olympics. The athletes were down on the stage, waiting for awards. One of the athletes was a fox with two tails.   
"That woman mentioned a fox like that," he stated, "but where's the other one?"   
Suddenly, the other one hovered above the track, and an airship appeared in midair, using a claw to grab him (or was it a her?). The fox that must be the twin was on his knees, crying. The blue hedgehog that the woman on the starship mentioned was also there, comforting the twin. A pink hedgehog stood there as well. But where was Bowser's youngest daughter?  
When Bowser and his airships appeared, the little dude noticed a pink airship, and he saw Bowser's youngest daughter.  
"This must be the Two," he said to himself, "and they might contain the Dark Star inside their bellies."  
Like the dark, evil hedgehog, this dark, evil, little dude dressed in red was up to no good as well, and he had the exact same goal.


	4. An Unusual Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part I The Story of The Outsiders  
> Bowsay, daughter of the great King Bowser, has been facing a terrible life for years. Pumpkin, the sister of the genius fix Tails, has been wanted because something inside of her could destroy the world. Though, something ancient from many centuries ago has bonded the Two together, yet they become allies. But then everything changes for these Two...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, readers! I'm SonicLover24601 (Comment if you know where 24601 comes from), the author of this fanfic! I've always been a Mario and Sonic nerd growing up. This story is about Mario and Sonic and friends on another adventure to fight evil and save the world from the evil King Bowser and Doctor Eggman! Isn't that exciting? WOOHOO!!!!!  
>  However, this story is also about two unknown outcasts, Bowsay and Pumpkin, working together, and how their friendship grows throughout time. It's a story of two different worlds from two different sides colliding for a good cause. I was younger when I started this fanfic, but now, as I grow up, I understand more of life and how important love and friendship is. To me, that's inspirational.  
>  Just for fun, I'll explain how I came up with the idea of Bowsay and Pumpkin.  
>  I remember first learning that Bowser had a son, Bowser Jr. Bowser Jr. eventually became my favorite Mario character, and he still is my favorite today. I always thought, "If Bowser has a son, then he should have a daughter too!" So that's how I thought of Bowsay. (I knew the Koopalings were Bowser's minions, but I didn't realize they were also his children until later.

Hello there. No, no, no, don't panic! I will not hurt thee! Have you ever heard of King Bowser? Him being enemy of Mario, always kidnapping Princess Peach Toadstool of Mushroom Kingdom, and wanting to rule Mushroom Kingdom, and eventually the whole universe, with her? But then Mario always comes right at the end and defeats Bowser to save Peach while Peach is still crying "MARIO!!!!!!!!!"?

Most Toads in Toad Town know that Bowser has nine children. But yet, only eight have revealed themselves. That's because the eighth child has her own beliefs apart from the others. Toads often give her nicknames like "Bowser's Secret Child" or "Bowser's Unwanted". But everyone else outside of Toad Town knows nothing of this eighth child, assuming that Bowser Jr. is the eighth child.

That eighth "Secret" child is I. Bowser Jr. is actually the ninth child. My name is Bowsay.

No, PLEASE do not freak out! I know that is scary for people who are afraid of Bowser, but I'm actually not as scary as I may seem. I have eight siblings; Roy, Larry, Iggy, Lemmy, Morton, Ludwig, Wendy O., and Bowser Jr. Bowser Jr. just gets on my last nerve, because not only is he my younger brother, he's my younger TWIN brother! It gets really annoying when he tries to steal my makeup, steal my cookies, even when he just plain comes in my room! The sign on my door clearly says "Girls Only" (Except my dad, he made me allow him), and I'm losing my voice shouting, "JUNIOR!!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!!!??? GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!"

After screaming & fussing, Wendy O., my older and only sister, would usually walk in asking, "What's going on?", and then I would explain everything. Junior really does that kind of crazy stuff with all my siblings, but he just does it to me the most because I'm his twin. Ugh...

Obviously, I am not involved in any of Mario's adventures. Two reasons.

One reason why I am not seen or mentioned in Mario's adventures is because I don't do much. I hate my rules.

Rules for the children of Bowser:

1) No flirting with opposite genders. Only the youngest daughter can marry since she will be final leader of the siblings.

2) No leaving the castle without permission from Bowser or supervision of a Magikoopa. You do not know everything that goes on out there!

3) Work always comes before play. No exceptions.

4) Girls can only become leader when all the other boys have oldest to youngest. Once females become leader, they must also go in order from oldest to youngest. 

5) No contact with Mario. Bowser will assume you are on Mario's side and will immediately throw you into the dungeon!

6) No contact Sonic the Hedgehog. Every other year Sonic is our enemy, due to his alliance with Mario.

Yup. Six rules. All my other siblings, including Bowser Jr., have these exact same rules. But Bowser Jr. doesn't always follow them, and he rarely gets any penalty!

I know what Mario is like, but I am curious as to what Sonic is like. The only reason we can't talk to him is because he is allies with Mario during the Olympics.

I don't flirt with boys, either, but Bowser Jr. flirts with this one purple cat named Blaze. I think she's from Sonic's world. I don't want my dad to choose a horrible person for me to marry, though! Oh wait, he won't be alive...

Rule #4 makes total sense, but it's already been broken since Bowser Jr. is the heir to the Koopa throne. Daddy only favors Bowser Jr. because he is "just like" him. I mean, I look just like daddy too, only I am pink and purple! Once my father dies, Junior will become leader. I think then it's Ludwig, then Lemmy., then Roy, then Iggy, then Morton Jr., and I think Larry's the youngest (I have too many brothers, I can't keep them all straight). Once Larry dies, Wendy O. will be leader, and once Wendy dies, I'll be leader of the Koopa Empire. But why do us girls have to be last? Ladies are not stupider than men, I'm SORRY.

Notice, though, since Wendy O. is older than Larry, she might be too old to lead once Larry dies. Really, Koopas stay young forever, and not just royal Koopalings like me, but even the minions. The only way to die as a Koopa is if you are murdered. For example, if one falls through lava, they shal not die! However, it would still hurt. One could only die from being shot, stabbed, chopped at certain parts, or even eaten. Those are considered murderous deaths. I am not worried about that right now, though. Obviously, regular Koopatroopas can die in their sleep when Mario is around. Mario would simply jump on them, and they would go to sleep in their shells. Then, Mario would collide them into other shells, killing them. Seems simple, but the experience is like a horror movie to the Koopatroopas and the Paratroopas.

The other reason why I'm not mentioned or seen is because I don't think that what my daddy does is right. Out of all the things he can do, he chooses to capture an innocent princess and rule the world with her? That doesn't make sense! My dad says that Mario is the bad guy, while the whole time my dad is the bad guy! I HATE MY FAMILY!!!!!

Bowser Jr. does lots of art in his room. He even gets grounded for painting the hallways with his Magic Graffiti Brush (at least he has some form of punishment.). Once, he even painted a whole TOWN on Isle Delfino with his graffiti brush!

I am a huge reading fanatic. When I'm not with my family (which is basically all the time), I sit in my room and read. My siblings often question why I read. They think it's a waste of time, but I don't care. I often read the texts and of the ancient Koopa Emperors and Philosophers. Back then, the world made sense. Everyone was so happy, the Koopa Kingdom, the Mushroom Kingdom, the Beanbean Kingdom, the Pi'illo Kingdom, everything was so right... before my father became leader.

One thing that no one, not even my dad, knows about is that I can shape-shift. Bowser Jr. can shape-shift too, or at least he did once when he was Shadow Mario on vacation at Isle Delfino and Mario was on vacation there, too. He really just used his Graffiti Brush, though...

Just so you know, I'm always there when my dad is facing Mario, except daddy doesn't know it's me. I'm usually a Paratroopa, that way I can easily fly away. To tell thee the truth, those guards that watch the castle when my dad is gone are SO DUMB!!!!!!! When they ask me where I've been, I simply answer,

"I have not been gone, you have never seen me leave before, and I shall never leave this place!" And they actually believe me! How stupid is that???!!! It's like I can hypnotize them!

No matter how evil my dad can get, though, I will always love him. He is always there for me when I need him. He loves me unconditionally. So do I.

I've always wondered who my mother is, though. No, wait a minute, who she was. Is she still alive? No, my mother can't be alive now. She has to be dead. Dad would've told me about her if she was alive. But he never said I had one. Maybe I never did. No, then I would never hatch out of that egg. Is my dad really my dad? If not, who are my birth parents? THIS IS SO CONFUSING!!!!!!

Tomorrow we are meeting Dr. Eggman at our evil Olympic hideout since the Olympics are coming up. Wonder how that will go this year? I never participate in the Olympics, anyway, and it will get annoying when Junior hangs out with his best friend, Metal Sonic. Normally, Daddy would leave me back at the castle with the rest of the Koopalings, but he wants me to "show myself". Every time, though, I never show myself. I still stay "Bowser's Secret Child", because if a Toad tried to tell a Chao about me, the Chao would have no idea what the Toad's talking about. 

I'm gonna think how unfair it is that Dr. Eggman didn't create a best friend for me. Or has he now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsay


	5. The Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/24/15: -Took out the "not lose blood when shot" power because there is no blood in this fanfic!  
> -At one part I realized I made Pumpkin fly (when she swore to never fly again) so I altered it  
> No major changes! Happy reading!

Hello there. My name is Pumpkin, Pumpkin Prower. I live on Planet Mobius with my twin brother, Miles Prower. People just call him Tails because he has two tails and first figured out how to hover with them. I have two tails, too, but I was named Pumpkin after my dark, pumpkin-orange fur. That's the main way to tell us apart, because my fur is darker than his. Plus, it took me longer to learn how to fly with my two tails...  
I caused a terrible accident seven years ago, which was a year after Tails and I were born. We were learning how to fly, and as I said before, Tails figured it out first. As soon as I figured it out, oh, I was happy, and our mother was so proud!  
But I guess I was a little too happy. I flied and flied and flied, and all of a sudden, blue flame shot out of me. I don't know how I did it. I couldn't control it.  
But my flame struck my mother in her heart. And in minutes, she was dead.  
I didn't mean for it to happen. But I did it. I murdered my mother.  
My father was too afraid of me after that, so he abandoned me and Tails.  
I've isolated myself from any contact with rarely anyone else. I've forbid myself from ever flying again. I don't wanna be too happy, or else I could hurt someone like I hurt my mother. I can't hurt anyone ever again. It's for the better of everyone else and for the better of me.  
The only person I really talk to is Tails. Ever since we lost our parents, he's taken such good care of me. He built a workshop and taught himself mechanical engineering. I stay in his workshop all day, not leaving farther than a mile, while he hunts for our needs. He's honestly the best brother I could ever ask for. I'd do anything to give it all back to him, but I know that I can't do it without causing trouble...  
Tails often goes through a lot for me. Since we're twins, he's often mistaken for me, and people fear him. When he tells them he's only my twin, he still gets hated on. I feel so terrible for him, and he used to be just as scared of the world as I am...  
That was, until he met Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic gave Tails so much confidence and courage. Tails goes on almost all of Sonic's adventures and has lots of fun. I don't go on these adventures because the world is too cruel out there. Sonic has done too much good for the world, and he doesn't deserve my pain.  
Now that I've hidden from the world for seven years, no one else other than Tails and his friends know of my existence.  
When Tails is out of the workshop, I work out a lot so that if there's ever a time the world needs me, I'll be ready.  
You know how Tails has three pieces of hair from his head? I don't even know how many I have, but I always keep my hair in front of my left eye. Since I'm a lefty, I cover my left eye so I can use my right eye to see and strengthen the weak parts of life. Many of Tails' friends describe me as sort of gothic and dark. I wouldn't blame them.  
This year I am going to Planet Earth with Tails and his friends. Don't worry, I've had enough time to get to know the others, such as Sonic, Knuckles, and Shadow, and I haven't hurt any of them yet. It will be scary, but Tails is my brother, and I love him.  
My best friend, Amy Rose, is also coming along. Amy and I are very different people, but hey, opposites attract. She's been with me through a lot without knowing it. She makes me happy, but I try not to let her get me too out of control, or else... you get my idea.  
The one weird thing about Amy is that she has a crush on Sonic. It's too obvious that she does, and she shows it in quite a weird way.  
I do feel somewhat attracted to Shadow. Not like I have a crush on him, but I feel like I relate to him most. He also had a tragic loss-his best friend, Maria Robotnik. I tend to have nice conversations with him. He tends to be Tails' friend that understands me the most. Sometimes Tails worries about me talking to him, but I don't care. I need someone else to really talk to other than Tails.  
Oh, I forgot to mention WHY the Mobians are coming to Earth. They are competing against Mario and his friends once again in the Olympic Games. I've never been to Earth before, so watching the Olympics this year should be a great experience. Good luck, Tails.  
• • •  
Now it has been about two weeks, and so far I haven't hurt anyone... Geez, all the athletes must be tired from all that jumping, running, swimming, throwing, even biking... I feel almighty sorry for them...  
The announcer announces something, but I think it's in another language... Possibly Spanish? ... Oh wait maybe this will be English-! No, that must be French... Now Japanese... Italian (I bet Mario and Luigi understand that)... A random language that I've never even heard of before... GOSH when can you just SPEAK ENGLISH, okay?! Wait... how can I identify all these languages? I've never even been to Earth...  
Finally, the announcer announces in English;  
"WELCOME TO THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES!!!!!!! TODAY OUR WINNERS ARE..." The announcer announces each athlete by name, place, and event. I shout and wave hi to Amy when her name is announced, and believe it or not, she actually waved back!  
Dr. Eggman, Sonic's enemy, was called, but for some reason, he wasn't there. Bowser, Mario's enemy, wasn't there either, but Bowser Jr. was there when he was called, and so was Metal Sonic. I don't completely care about Bowser, just more of the Doctor. Have he & Bowser teamed up again? Just like in the past Olympics?  
Tails was announced first place for one event (I forgot which one), and he saw me in the audience! I was screaming for Tails, too!  
Hey... I spot something floating in mid air. It seems quite far away. Is it a UFO? Is it a spaceship? No... Is it DR. EGGMAN? Has he come to put on a show to ruin the Olympics?!  
No, it's just a mosquito hawk. Ugh, I can't STAND those things! At least it wasn't that threatening.  
Wait a minute... I spot something else. It looks farther away than the mosquito hawk was. And it looks BIGGER than the mosquito hawk was! ... Is THAT the Doctor's Egg Carrier? It's definently NOT a mosquito hawk!  
I run up to the announcer's room. I ask him, "Do you think that thing up in the sky could be Dr. Eggman? Or Bowser?"  
"Where? What thing in the sky?" The announcer sounds like someone who doesn't know about anything.  
"There! Just above the big screen! Can't you see it?"  
"No. Point to it."  
"I'M POINTING TO IT RIGHT NOW!!!!! HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE IT?????" This mushroomy guy, whatever he's called, is SO DUMB!  
"IT'S RIGHT ABOVE THE STADIUM!!!! AND IT'S ABOUT TO GRAB TAILS!!!!!"  
Wait a minute... It's about to grab Tails?  
I jump out of the room, breaking through glass windows. A claw sticks out from the Egg Carrier, reaching for my brother. Right before it grabs him, I fly in right above Tails, causing the claw to grab me instead.  
It was too obvious that that was at least the Doctor. Maybe Bowser. Yup, I see both the Bowser sign and the Eggman sign. I had just been captured by Dr. Eggman.  
A wave-like vibration goes through the Carrier, and the audience FINALLY realizes that Eggman has captured me. Bowser's Airship Fleet is just arriving at that moment.  
"PUMPKIN!!!!!!!!!!" Tails screams for me, his face turning red. "NO!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"What do you want, Eggman?" Sonic shouts. "These Olympics are for everyone to enjoy! There's nothing involved with YOU tearing it up!"  
"Oh really, hedgehog? These Olympics do not deserve to EXIST, after me not winning the gold medal!"  
"These Olympics are not about winning! They are about having FUN!!!" Sonic protests.  
Bowser Jr. chuckles and shouts, "Yeah! Fun fun fun!!!!!"  
"BOWSER JR!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!!!!!!" A claw from Bowser's airship reaches out and grabs Bowser Jr., and Bowser Jr. screams like a little girl (well, he hasn't hit puberty yet...). Bowser must hate fun as well... But dang, punishment in society nowadays... that's why the world is cruel and I stay away from it.  
"You won't stop me this time, SONIC! Heheheheheh!" Dr. Eggman calls out. Bowser starts laughing, too.  
As the Doctor and Bowser retreat, I could still see Tails close to crying. Right now he's on his knees, reaching his left arm for the sky. Amy has a red face and a few tears, but she was quiet. She and Sonic were trying to calm Tails down. Sonic just had one tear on his cheek, yet he still looked normal. Later, Mario and his friends go comfort Tails. Tails has seen a best friend get captured before, but I think he could never imagine what it was like to have his twin sister captured.  
I love my brother very much. He's the only family I have left. I can't cry, though, because my mother told me not to cry, no matter how cruel the world may be...  
The Doctor is keeping me in this special room. It feels like I'm having a doctor's appointment - oh wait, Dr. Eggman is the Doctor. Soon, one of his robots will give me a shot. I've never had a shot before. I never thought I would ever have one in my life.  
I will sometime soon. And it will not be good. What is this shot for?  
A sphere robot called Orbot rolls into the room, carrying a needle. Shoot.  
The round robot just stands there and leaves the room. Wait, I thought it was gonna give me a shot? Did Orbot already give it to me? I didn't feel anything. Are shots really not that bad?  
I spot Dr. Eggman with the robot. He sticks the needle into a container and stares at a large screen.  
"Let's check out her sample," he said.  
"Hmm... She can... See invisibility... Not feel pain when she is scared of it... Can shoot blue flames... Can hear through glass... That's all."  
I can see invisibility? That's probably why no one could see the Doctor's ship. It was invisible. Then, when I flew to save Tails, he was surprised that I could see his ship and accidentally hit the "Visibility" button. THAT was the wave-like vibration in the Egg Carrier. It was turning visible.  
No pain when I am scared of it. That's why I couldn't feel my shot. I was afraid of the pain.  
I heard all of this crystal-clear through glass. That proves I can hear through glass.  
Blue flames... those are the same blue flames I killed my mother with. I flash back to seven years ago. I'm flying, all happy, and my mother stands there smiling. Then, I start spinning, and the fire comes out of me and strikes my mother, and she falls down to her death...  
A voice interrupts my thoughts.  
"I am here to escort you to your prison cell, Prisoner Pumpkin," a cubed robot named Cubot says to me.  
As I am escorted, I see a small, yellow and pink monstrous turtle with a purple spiked shell. She looks like Bowser Jr., Bowser's youngest son. Is that his twin sister? I never knew Bowser Jr. had one! I always thought Bowser only had one daughter (Wendy O. Koopa)!  
When I arrive in my cell, I'm handcuffed in these long, dangly chains. All I have is one hard, stony, uncomfortable single bed. It is very smelly in here. I am officially one of the Doctor's prisoners.  
I'm gonna die here. Either I'm gonna die here or destroy this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	6. The Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/24/15: I gave Bowsay's Pink and Purple Paratroopa friends names-Rosette and Violet

Ugh, this is so boring! I have to wait for hours for my dad to do his evil things inside my airship! This is my airship that I am the captain of, with my flag on it, and the ship is color of my pink eye shadow (instead of boring brown!). Daddy is making me go somewhere, probably the Olympic stadium... Well, wherever we are going, I'm gonna be in the very back where no one can see me, as I was when Daddy took Princess Peach's castle to the center of the universe.  
The only people I can talk to while waiting is my crew. Sometimes Wendy O. is there, too, but not this time. My crew contains what my dad's minions look like, except they're all girly colors, such as pink & purple koopas and paratroopas, Misty Sis (Instead of Hammer Bro) is sky blue, and Turq (short for turquoise) Bones instead of regular gray Dry Bones. Nope, goombas are too weak for me to hire. They're the weakest minions my dad's hired. My dad hires stupid minions!  
While waiting, I see Dr. Eggman capture Tails. Wait, no, that's not Tails. Tails is down there on the track, crying. So if that's Tails, then...who is THAT? Is that his twin? I didn't know Tails had a twin!  
Sonic the Hedgehog is trying to tell Eggman something. I can't really hear, though, so I don't care what they're saying.  
Bowser Jr. is also down on the track, dancing and cheering about having fun. My dad grabs Junior with a claw and roars that he's grounded for a day. Yeesh, Daddy, give your children FREEDOM!  
"What's wrong, Bowsay? Are you okay?" My Pink Paratroopa friend Rosette asks.  
"Not exactly," I reply. "My dad is doing nothing but evil! And the good guys have done nothing wrong!" My face turns red. "Why do I have to be his daughter?! Am I his only offspring who thinks those kind of thoughts?!"  
"I don't blame you, Bowsay," Rosette replies. "I don't think Bowser should be doing this evil, either." She sighs. "The only reason I work for your father is cause I had nowhere to go. I didn't think Bowser would allow me to join him, but he actually gave me a home.  
"I never though he would be this evil, though," Rosette continues, "but it was the only place where I could live. I'm an orphan, in case you didn't know. I never knew my parents."  
I feel sorry for Rosette. I could never imagine not knowing both of my parents. Just my mom.  
"I never knew my parents, either," My Purple Paratroopa friend Violet interrupts. "I don't know what happened, Bowsay, but I think none of your father's minions ever knew their parents. One of my best friends used to be a Green Paratroopa. He had a mate. He told me that his mate laid an egg, and I was thrilled!  
"One day, though, Bowser called my Green Paratroopa friend. I tried to follow him, but then your brother Iggy Koopa wouldn't let me pass, and then your brother Larry Koopa kicked me away and sent me flying! After that day, I never saw my best friend again." A tear dripped down Violet's face.  
"Then, I met Rosette, and she became my new best friend."  
"I feel sorry for all of Daddy's minions, now." I reply. How come my dad could do such a horrible thing? Not let his minions become parents?  
I look down at Tails. He must be very sad to have his twin taken away. I don't know if it's a twin brother or twin sister, but both must be almost as sad.  
• • • • •  
Okay, so right now, I am back at the base where my dad and Dr. Eggman meet every Olympics. And Eggman hasn't created a best friend for me. That means it will once again be boring this summer. I'm not gonna debut to the public. Not this year or anytime soon.  
As I walk down the hall, I see Tails' twin. From my view, I think she's a female. She has a huge piece of hair in front of her left eye. She looks kinda gothic. I think she sees me, too. I swear we made eye contact with each other!  
When I arrive in my room, I access my secret device with the camera views of the whole entire base. I search every single room, from the kitchen to the spa to game room to the attic. Finally, I find her in the room titled "Dungeon".  
Why is Eggman being so cruel to her? Does she have dangerous powers like my shape shifting? No, why am I even thinking that? SO STUPID THOUGHT!!!!!  
One night, while everyone is asleep, I'm gonna save her. She does not deserve to be held captive by that mean old Dr. Eggman.  
I'm about to go to sleep in my shell, until Dad walks into my room.  
"How're you, honey?" he says.  
"Fine," I reply.  
"Okay, well get a good night's sleep t'night."  
"I will, Dad."  
"That's m'girl. Love ya!"  
"I love you too!"  
Just before my dad leaves the room, I call,  
"Hold on a minute!" Okay. I have courage. I'm gonna ask him.  
"What is it, honey?"  
"W... Whataya do when... When two of your minions m... Mate?" Okay, maybe it's not as easy as I thought it would be.  
"What do I do?" my father starts. "Well, I just simply make them not one of my minions anymore. That's a very good question, Bowsay. One day, you will lead the Koopa Empire, and that's one of the things you must do when you lead it. Children cannot be distracted by their parents and worry about them when they go to battle. And vice versa, children can't worry abou' their parents. That's just the rules. To tell you the truth, I didn't create the rules. And I'm not allowed to change them."  
"But you're the leader! You're the King of the whole entire Koopa Empire! There'd have to be a way somehow!" How could he say something like that?  
My dad sighs. "Listen, hun, everyone has rules. I've always followed the rules of the ancient Koopa Emperors and Philosophers, and their rules are perfect. If I'm staying ruler of the Koopa Empire, I have to follow them. Otherwise, the empire will collapse, and where else would there be for all of us to go? Everyone else in the world's terrified of our clan!"  
You're the one who made the Koopa Clan terrifying in the first place, I was tempted to say. He also broke the rules by making Bowser Jr. heir to the Koopa throne as well...  
This doesn't make sense. My dad is King Bowser, ruler of the Koopa Empire. He has no other boss. He works for himself. How can he be so evil if he's been following the rules of the ancient Koopa Emperors and Philosophers?  
I want to ask more, but I need to go to bed. Daddy does, too.  
"Thank you, Daddy. I love you!"  
"Love ya too, sweetie!"  
I can't rule the Koopa Empire. Not if my father has messed it all up. I have to escape one night. And I will bring Tails' twin sister with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsay


	7. Life As a Slave

Not only am I a prisoner, I am now officially one of Dr. Eggman's slaves. I only do a fraction of my work for Bowser, but most is for the Doctor. I have to mop the floors, cook the food, dust the security cameras, even clean the toilets! I'm glad Tails isn't doing any of this!  
Sometimes it seems like Bowser's daughter is staring at me... I'm not surprised if that means she doesn't like me... I only just saw her last evening...  
But I would be kind of surprised if that meant she did like me...  
No, I hear too many evil characteristics about Bowser, so his daughter must be that evil, too. How come I didn't know about her existence, then? Is she really that bad? But we have something in common... no one knows of our existence. Wait, this is only my first time to Earth, so maybe Tails can tell me about her since he knows more of Mario's world than I do.  
But no... Tails is not here.  
Ok, now I'm making dinner. I have to make hamburgers, pasghetti - wait, no, I think it's called spaghetti, but it's not made in Mobius (none of this food is)- pork chop, green beans, mashed potatoes, chili dogs (except those, which are Sonic's favorite), and lots of other food as well. It's not fair that I can't eat any of it, though! And I worked so hard to cook it! I only get leftover food that are five days and older and not refrigerated, and it taste like... like... BLECH!!!!! (throwing up food) I just never get anything I deserve these days...  
Once I return to my disgustingly odorous prison cell, I start doing some conditioning. Push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, lunges, etc. until 10pm. The guards check on me at midnight, and I need to be asleep. As a slave, there's no such thing as sleeping in, anyway. If you didn't wake up to the alarm, I heard that you would receive chores that are far worse than the ones you have now, such as cleaning the sewage, killing bugs, and pulling organs out of animals so that the animals can be cooked ready for supper. SO DISGUSTING!  
Once I escape, though, (if I ever make a plan) the Doctor won't stand a chance against me!  
Once it's 10pm, I return to my cell and start my workout. I don't eat my food due to the horrible taste, and I never become hungry.  
I miss my life back at Tails' workshop...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	8. SCORE!

Okay, it's the second night that Pumpkin is here, and I still don't know her well. Tonight, I'm gonna save her anyway. I just need the keys to her cell.  
"Hey Bowser," I hear Dr. Eggman tell my dad. I sneak in the corner of the hall, spying on them. "Would you mind watching my keys for tonight? I'm gonna go for an evening walk."  
"No problem," My dad told Eggman. "Which key goes to which prisoner?"  
"Well, this key goes to..." Dr. Eggman explains each key. Finally, I hear him say,  
"This key goes to the twin of Tails. Remember, her name is Pumpkin."  
Pumpkin. Okay. That's a nice name.  
I try to study the key. It is black with a pink stripe through the middle and purple polka dots all over it. Once Eggman leaves, my dad calls,  
"Bowsay, sweetheart?"  
Okay. Here goes nothing.  
"Yes, Daddy?" I ask in a tone as if I were a little girl who thinks she's responsible.  
"Would yeh min' keeping an eye on Eggman's keys fer me? Imma take a shower."  
"Yes sir. Can you show me which key is which in case of an emergency?" I need to double check which key is Pumpkin's.  
"Sure," Daddy starts. "This key is..." I zone out until he says at last,  
"...and this key here is Pumpkin's." Okay, I was right. Black, big pink stripe, purple polka dots... I can save her.  
"Thank you!" I say. So far this plan is working.  
"Sure! Anytime!" Daddy chuckles.  
Right now, I am sneaking down the dungeon hallways. Where is it?... Aha! There's the cell!  
I've had my claw on the key the whole time... Now I need to destroy the alarms.  
I try my best to jump high to reach the alarm, then smash it with my fist. It only takes me about 30 minutes to do this to all the alarms, and right now it's 11:30. There's a Prisoner Check at midnight, so I have to knock the guard out somehow. Or maybe...  
Midnight. A robot is coming to check. I don't have enough time to hide, and the robot spots me.  
"Bowsay, daughter of the great Bowser, what are you doing at midnight?" This robot looks pretty dumb in my opinion.  
Okay, I'm gonna try to do what I always do when people ask me questions like that. I say,  
"I am not here. You are finished with your work and will go to sleep." Oh yeah. Piece of cake.  
The robot starts saying, "You are not there. I am finished with my work and will go to sleeeeep..." The robot's voice fades out as it shuts down. SCORE!  
Everything is clear now. Immediately, I rush to Pumpkin's cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsay


	9. The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/24/15: I took out the part where Pumpkin legs were shaking and teeth chattering. It doesn't fit her dark character.  
> -Again, Pink Paratroopa and Purple Paratroopa are now Rosette and Violet

I've only had two hours of sleep when I here someone call,  
"Pumpkin!"  
As I wake up, I see a blurry image of something pink, purple, and yellow. As my sight becomes more crystal-clear, I recognize Bowser Jr.'s twin sister. Shoot.  
"Don't kill m-!"  
"SHHHHHH!!! Keep it down!" she interrupts. "I'm not here to hurt you. I bring you no harm. I am here to save you."  
Save me? Why does she want to save me?  
"What do you want?" I ask.  
"No time to explain right now. Name's Bowsay. And you're... Pumpkin?"  
I slowly nod my head. How does she know my name?  
"This way!" Bowsay whispers loudly. We quickly scuttle down the dungeon hall like rats, avoiding security cameras. As we reach ground level, Bowsay orders me,  
"You go find an exit. I need to return the keys."  
"But Bowsay-"  
"Do as I say! I know what I'm doing!" Bowsay interrupts. "Trust me!"  
I nod.  
I pretend to run away, but then I secretly follow Bowsay down the hall. I peek my head from the corner of the wall, spying on her. OH, IT'S PROBABLY JUST A DADDY ISSUE, I think in my head. Bowser was there.  
"Here are Dr Eggman's keys, Daddy!" Bowsay recites in a tone like a little girl who thinks she is smart.  
"Thanks, Bowsay," Bowser chuckles. "Eggman sh'be back from his walk by now." The Doctor goes for walks? I never knew that.  
"Goodnight, Daddy." Bowsay says in a more normal tone.  
"G'night, honey. Luv ya!" Bowser replies. When I hear Bowser speak English, I realize he has somewhat of a country accent. Bowsay has a British accent. I have an American accent.  
"I love you too, Daddy. Sweet dreams."  
"Hey, I thought I said 'sweet dreams' firs'?" Bowser replies, smiling.  
"When did we ever make that rule up?" Bowsay starts giggling.  
"Well, I jus' made it up!"  
Bowser and his daughter are just laughing, having fun. Great, now I don't think I should have trusted Bowsay, if she just stopped helping me escape.  
Okay, forget her. I'm gonna find my own way to escape now. I'm just turning around when suddenly, I bump into a huge, fat figure. Oh no.  
It's the Doctor.  
He looks down upon me. No way to escape now. I'm in his spotlight.  
Dr. Eggman chuckles and starts speaking,  
"Ho Ho Ho! (Yeah, like you're Santa Claus.) Looks like we have a little guest who doesn't know how to leave her place without PERMISSION!"  
"You wouldn't've let me out, anyway!" I speak up, trying to fight back. Not strong enough of a response.  
"Ooo, look at little Pumpkin here defending herself!" Eggman gives an evil laugh again. Jerk.  
"She can even save her little brother from me, but I would never hurt him!" he continues.  
Liar. He would hurt Tails anytime he wanted to when he had the chance. And Tails isn't my little brother, he's my YOUNGER brother. I'm one second older than him. ONE SECOND!!!!!!!!!  
"Too bad Little Miss Pumpkin can't save herself NOW!!!" Dr. Eggman holds out a button and presses it. Suddenly, I find myself trapped in a hovering cage. Once again, the Doctor has captured me. Poo.  
Dr. Eggman walks to meet Bowser. My cage is following him, making and annoying sound from the propellers.  
Bowsay spots me, and shoots me a scornful look. Yup, I should've listened to her the whole time. I would have been safe outside of the base instead of in this cage. This is all my fault.  
Bowsay has a torn-up look on her face now. I feel very sorry for her.  
Wait - what is she doing? She yanks her arm away from her father's, running in my direction at full speed, unsheathing her claws, getting ready to jump, so I cover my eyes and...  
WHAM!!!  
Next thing I realize when I open my eyes, my cage is in pieces. Bowsay had just freed me.  
Bowser drops his jaw in astonishment. He never would predict his daughter, his very own daughter, freeing a prisoner on the other side. On the wrong side.  
"PUMPKIN, STAY WITH ME AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!" Bowsay screams. Sirens were going off all around the base, all seeming to sync like one large siren. Why didn't I listen to Bowsay before?  
Bowsay & I are running for our lives. There are flying Badniks, paratroopas, and paragoombas chasing after us.  
"There's the door!" I shout, until then it is blocked by Badniks.  
"Hey Pumpkin," Bowsay calls out over the loud noise, "can you carry me?"  
"Can I WHAT???" How can I carry Bowsay if she's HUGE compared to me?! Can't she defend herself?  
"I said, can you carry me out the window? There's a window up there!" Bowsay repeats. Oh, great, the window. That just makes things much harder. I have to fly.  
"I can try-" I grab Bowsay's shell, aware of the spikes. It's been a long time since I've flown, so it's gonna be really scary. I don't wanna hurt Bowsay. As I hover with my two tails, I slowly start to rise. Ok, it's all coming back to me!  
There's no way I can make the window, though. I'm rising too slowly. There's no way I can slow down now, one because I'm going at full speed, and two because the robots will catch me. Bowsay is way too heavy. I'm about to crash. Then I hear a whistle blow.  
Wait, what is this? Am I hallucinating? Bowsay has suddenly become... Lighter! I can escape more easily now! Perfect!  
As I break through the glass window, I see two winged figures on each side of me. I try to see who or what they are, but I'm too focused on lifting Bowsay. We are still being chased.  
Once we lose the chasers, I apologize to Bowsay, "Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. This is all my fault." There. I said it.  
"No, Pumpkin, it's actually okay this time," Bowsay replies. "I didn't completely expect you to listen, anyway, because I am a daughter of a villain. To tell you the truth, I'm actually not as evil as I look. I care about others."  
"She's right, you know," says the pink figure on my right.  
"We've known her for a long time," says the purple figure on my left. I actually believe them.  
Once we land in a safe place in the a rainforest, I see these figures look somewhat like flying turtles.  
"I'm Rosette," the Pink Paratroopa introduces herself, "and this is my friend, Violet. Some of our orders come from Bowser, but most of them actually come from Bowsay. And she's more than our captain."  
Rosette and Violet giggle and snuggle with Bowsay.  
"She's like our mother," states Violet, "and her crew would never want to let her down!"  
A mother. Something I lost that I wish I still had now.  
"Thanks, guys," Bowsay says, "you two are the best crewmates ever!"  
"No problemo," replies Rosette. "Just blow the whistle, and we'll be there in a flash!"  
"See ya later Bowsay! You too, Pumpkin!" The Paratroopas smile and flew away.  
Oh, THAT'S where the whistle came from. Bowsay was calling THEM for assistance.  
Next question I ask Bowsay is,  
"Why did you want to save me?"  
"As I was saying, I'm not as evil as I may look." said Bowsay, brushing debris off her arms.  
"My dad has done evil things, and I hate it when he does it. There are so many opportunities out there, and he chooses to capture an innocent princess and try to rule the world with her? That's crazy!"  
I wouldn't exactly call that crazy, but that is pretty mean. At least she has a father at all.  
"I just had to save you, Pumpkin, because I didn't think you deserved to do all that work. Tails wouldn't've, either. Plus, you looked like a nice fox. I like doing good for nice people."  
Wow. Bowsay is a LOT nicer than I thought she was.  
"I just couldn't watch my only sibling get captured," I tell Bowsay.  
"I just heard from Dr. Eggman that I have these special powers. I can hear through glass, not feel pain when I am afraid of it, shoot blue flames out of my hands, and I can see anything that is invisible. That's why no one could see Dr Eggman's airship when he was trying to capture Tails. I was the only one who could see it."  
Bowsay looks slightly shocked. Then she says,  
"I can shape-shift. No one else knows besides me. Junior shape-shifted once, but I don't know if it was only temporary or if he just stopped doing it...  
"At least I have a way to hide from my father. He doesn't trust me now that's he knows I'm some type of double-agent."  
At least your father didn't abandon you, I add silently.  
I want to ask Bowsay more, but I think she's too stressed out.  
"My mother wouldn't've liked me either if she were there." Bowsay has a tear down her cheek. I want to ask if she ever knew her mother, but that would make her feelings worse. But she explains anyway,  
"The thing is, I never even KNEW my mother. Who is she? Is she evil? Is she nice? Is she still alive? Did she divorce? If she's dead, how did she die? Why is it that my dad never told me about her?" Bowsay sheds some more tears.  
"My dad once tricked my twin brother into thinking Princess Peach was his mother. Thing is, though, he only wanted him to think that Mario captured his mother, and Jr. wanted to take her back. The whole time though, Junior was actually capturing Peach."  
Bowsay sighs. "The point is, my dad didn't have to tell a lie like that! Bowser Jr. would've captured her anyway without the lie! It's like he wasn't trusted to do the right thing!" Bowsay pauses for a moment, then continues,  
"Okay, here's the REAL point. My dad will never tell me or my brother who our mother is! We never even tried to ask him ever since he told that HUGE lie! I hate to have a father who can hardly ever be trusted! Lying is one of the things my brother & I were told not to do when we were little, while our dad still doesn't know how to simply tell the truth! And-"  
"Whoa, Bowsay," I interrupt, "I think I get the idea about your dad lying. I'm really sorry about your mother. You just need to calm down." Wow, I never knew I was that good with words. But... all I can think of now is my mother.  
"Pumpkin? What's wrong?" Bowsay asks, corcerned.  
"I don't have a mother," I tell her.  
"Oh..." Bowsay pauses then says, "Well, surely you have a loving father - at least one that's not evil like mine -"  
"Bowsay, I don't have a family," I growl.  
"Oh... I'm very sorry, Pumpkin..." Bowsay hesitates.  
I tell Bowsay everything, from accidentally killing my mother to Tails being my only family.  
"Your family may be annoying Bowsay, but at least you have one. And at least none of your family were so afraid of you that they abandoned you."  
"Pumpkin, I'm so sorry... Don't worry, it's okay to cry!" Bowsay says.  
"I'm not gonna cry... I'm not." I take a deep breath to hold back my tears. "My mothers last words to me were, 'no matter how cruel the world may be, don't cry.' I've lived by those words ever since."  
Bowsay and I hug each other as we lay down and watch the sun melt like melting ice cream.  
As I try to fall asleep, I wonder all these kind of thoughts. There's been so much crying these last two days. From Tails. From Amy. From Sonic. From Bowsay. From some of Bowsay's friends, maybe. Bowser must be crying right now, too, because of what his youngest daughter had just did a few hours ago. Everyone's so sad. Just like I pictured it.  
This has been an adventure, but not the kind of adventure I'd expect. I would never expect a bad guy trying to save me! But as long as I don't hurt anyone, I'll be okay. I just need to hang in there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	10. Wendy O's Finding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/34/15: I made Wendy hack the GPS system so no one could find Bowsay.

A raindrop drops from a leaf and splats on my forehead. I yawn. I'm awake now, but Pumpkin is still asleep. I'm guessing she fell asleep later than me, or she sleeps deeper. Pumpkin does snore, though, and it gets on my nerves! Uh!!!  
As I sit up, I see something pink. It's getting bigger... It's coming towards us! As it gets closer, it's also a little yellow, then I see a huge pink bow on top, and I hear it call my name... Wendy O.!  
"Wendy O.!" I call out to her. "Wendy O.! Over here!"  
"Bowsay? Bowsay, I'm coming!" Wendy calls back.  
We start running towards each other, and once we meet, we give each other hugs.  
"Oh, Bowsay," my sister says, "my little sister! I was so worried about you, so I snuck out of the base to find you. I'm so elated that you're okay."  
"I thought you stayed back at the castle while Kamek would watch you and the rest of the Koopalings?" I question. I've never seen any of my other siblings come to the Olympic base, besides Junior.  
"Daddy communicates with Kamek, and if Kamek feels like he needs to tell us what he said, he tells us.  
"Apparently, Kamek informed me and the rest of our brothers, 'Bowsay is missing.' After that, I stole an airship in secret and immediately flew away in search of you, and here I found you in this rainforest," Wendy explains. I'm guessing Kamek didn't tell my siblings about Pumpkin. I hope he didn't...  
"Kamek said you also rescued some two-tailed fox," Wendy states. Oh, never mind. He did tell them.  
I slowly nod my head in agreement. I'm speechless.  
"Wasn't she the prisoner of this Eggman dude?"  
"Yes, she was." I don't tell Wendy anything else because she loves doing Father's duties, and I don't want her to think I was betraying him. Although I sort of am.  
"Is she with you right now? Can I meet her?" Wendy seems very excited to meet Pumpkin right now. This might not be good if she knows I'm somewhat of a good guy since I just saved a good guy yesterday, but I'll try to make her keep it a secret.  
"Sure..." I say. While we slowly walk up the hill to find the sleepy Pumpkin, I ask my older sister,  
"How did you find me?"  
"Every one of the Koopalings has a tracking device attached to them," Wendy explains. "I found you on the airship's GPS."  
"But why didn't anyone else use a GPS to find me?" I question.  
"Don't worry, I hacked into the GPS system so that no one else could find you," she answered.  
"Wow." My sister is brilliant!  
Once we arrive at the top of the steep hill, Pumpkin is just waking up. She opens her eyes slowly, then they pop open as soon as she sees Wendy.  
"Who is this, Bowsay??? What does she WANT???!!!" Pumpkin hops to her feet and sticks her hands out in a karate-like position.  
"Please, don't freak out, Pumpkin. This is my older sister, Wendy O. She won't bite." I try to calm Pumpkin down.  
"Hello," Wendy greets Pumpkin, trying not to be her own, bratty self. "I'm Wendy. Wendy O. Koopa. And you're...?"  
"Pumpkin," Pumpkin answers, still as a statue.  
"Nice to meet you, Pumpkin!" Wendy exclaims, still trying not to be her bratty self.  
I ask Wendy, "Where is your tracking device?"  
"On the back of my bow," she replies, pointing there.  
"I think yours is..." She inspects me, then states, "Aha! Here it is! It's your mascara!" What?!  
"How can it be my mascara?" I'm confused.  
"I can see these itty, itty-bitty robots in your eyelashes," Wendy explains. "Here's my magnifying glass to prove it." Wow, she's actually right. Wendy is really such a spoiled brat, but sometimes she can be such a genius! And she has a HUGE magnifying glass!  
"Bowsay, we really need to find what we need to survive in this rainforest," Pumpkin informs me. We must stay away from the Doctor and Bowser. They're gonna try to capture us."  
"Good point, Pumpkin," I agree. My father probably doesn't trust me now. I don't think he even likes me now.  
"Wendy," I ask, "will you promise not to tell anyone about me hiding with Pumpkin?"  
"Not a problem," Wendy answers. "Why did you save her, though? She's not even on our side!"  
I explain to my sister my thoughts about being a bad guy. I explain to her about how evil I think Dad is, and she slowly nods her head.  
Wendy sighs, "Yup, sometimes I don't think Papa does the right thing, either. I only do my duties in hope for honor, and I don't want to get in trouble. Why does he do this, though?" Wendy sighs again. Then, she tosses me a tablet.  
"If you need help, contact me on that tablet. I've already added myself as a contact. See ya, sis!" Wendy informs.  
"See ya, Wendy!" We hug each other.  
Hours later, I try to work the tablet. Pumpkin and I have already built a treehouse out of wood and leaves. We just finished building Pumpkin's bed (I sleep in my shell) out of gigantic leaves.  
As I open up the menu to the tablet, I scroll through the apps. There are a lot of games on there! Spit, Centipede, Pac-Man... No time for games right now. I scroll through the apps a little more, then I find an app called "Chat". There are three features on "Chat"- text, face-to-face, and phone. There's a camera right at the top of the tablet, so that must be for face-to-face. I select Phone Mode just in case any of my brothers like Ludwig or Morton Jr. or Lemmy steal Wendy's tablet. They can't know where I am. I find Wendy's number and call her.  
"Bowsay? Is that you?" my sister answers.  
"Yes, Wendy, it's me," I reply. "Is everything okay?"  
"Yep, everything's fine," she says. "How're you and Pumpkin?"  
"We're surviving in the rainforest quite fine. Has Kamek mentioned any more about me?"  
"Nope."  
"Good. Well, I'll talk to you later, sis!"  
"Okay! Bye, Bowsay!"  
"Bye."  
Once I finish the call, I turn the tablet off. Wow, this thing really works! Now I'll know where to find someone to talk to when in trouble (other than Pumpkin)! Way to go, Wendy O.!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsay


	11. Attack of the Kikis

I wake up from my leafy bed in the treehouse to a monkey sound. Ugh, monkeys can be such a pain... I walk up to the window to try to spot that creature.  
A tree shakes. Then another. Then another. I don't see anything leaping, though. Wait, I see something orange... Is it Tails? No, Tails can't leap so quickly like that... Not like it's a Badnik or anything... Wait, maybe it is a Badnik!  
I feel a thump on the roof. I fly up to the roof and recognize an orange Badnik. A Kiki-bot.  
It's here to spy on us, I thought.  
Kiki is about to jump on me, then I dodge it and tackle it. Kiki is giving off an annoying monkey laugh as if I was tickling it, which I'm not even trying to do!  
Kiki's monkey cry fades as the Badnik shuts down. I must've tickled it to death.  
"Bowsay? Bowsay!" I search the treehouse to inform Bowsay about Kiki. Then, I find her re-applying her pink eye shadow.  
Bowsay answers, "Pumpkin, I'm kind of busy right now, so if you could come back in a few minutes!"  
Dang, SOMEONE'S mad today...  
Ow, AGH, my right eye hurts... I reach my paw to rub it. It feels really hard... Is it just me that my eye is hard?  
"Bowsay, something's wrong with my eye..."  
Bowsay turns around.  
"What could be wrong?" She asks. "It looks fine,"  
"It feels very hard," I reply.  
"Let me see your other eye," Bowsay suggests.  
I pull the hair over my eye out of my face.  
"Oh my gosh!" Bowsay gasps.  
"What?" I ask. Bowsay holds a mirror to my face.  
"Oh my..." My eyes are different! "It seems that my right eye has been replaced with a robotic eye. It wasn't like this before the Doctor captivated me!" Perhaps the doctor did this to me when I was asleep or something...?  
Wait a minute... if the Doctor did this to me, then...  
I run, look out the window, and see the Egg Mobile in the distance. "The Doctor is coming for us, Bowsay," I tell her. "And if the Doctor is coming, then your father might be coming too."  
"You're right," Bowsay states, worried as well. "Daddy doesn't like me anymore. Next time I'm in his sight, he's gonna try to kill me. I'm his prey now." Her face turns red as she rushes to the window and stares.  
At least my father didn't want to kill me.  
I turn around. I say, trying to get Bowsay's mind off of of her father, "C'mon, let's get going! We have to evacuate!"  
Bowsay doesn't reply. I turn back around.  
"Bowsay? Hello? Are you ready?" Suddenly, I recognize a Pink Paratroopa at the window.  
"Rosette? What're you-?"  
"Shhhhh! It's me, Bowsay! Remember?" she interrupts.  
Oh yeah. Bowsay can shape-shift.  
"Let's get moving, Pumpkin!" Bowsay shouts. We quickly escape the treehouse, but it turns out we should've escaped quicker. In a few moments, Bowsay & I are being chased by a bunch of Kikis. Great, I have to fly again, and now Bowser & Eggman know our exact location!  
Bowsay & I fly through lots of trees with fruit growing on them. As the Kikis pick the fruit off, they throw fruit at us. Wait, no, I think they're only throwing fruit at me because they think Bowsay is the real Pink Paratroopa chasing me.  
Nowhere to hide, nowhere to stop, nothing to reboot myself... I'm hungry. I turn around and grab a fruit that a Kiki throws. Take a bite... Ew, this fruit is DISGUSTING! What kind of food grows in this rainforest?!  
One fruit hits one of my two tails, and I slowly start to decrease elevation. I can't fly well with just one tail, and my other tail hurts REALLY bad! I hate flying...  
Once I reach the forest floor, every single Kiki charges at me. I'm doomed. There's no way to escape. I'm too tired and hungry to dodge them. Eggman is about to capture me again.  
Suddenly, a huge, dark, purple force field surrounds me. Every Kiki leaps into it, creating the circle effect like when a raindrop splashes into a pond. Then every Kiki swings away back into the canopy of the rainforest.  
I decide to part my hair on the other side over my right eye. This way, the Doctor can't find me as clearly, and figuratively, I can see the strong side of life with my strong eye. I need to be strong if I want to survive the Doctor.  
As the force field fades away, a dark figure grips my arm and pulls me to a cave. I can't see the figure well because it is too dark.  
"Who are-?" I begin to ask who it is, but it just puts its finger over my mouth, shushing me. I hear a helicopter. No, it's the Doctor. And Bowser.  
"No! She was just here a second ago," the Doctor shouts, "because I clearly saw where she was on her eye-cam!"  
So my right eye IS the Doctor's way of keeping track of me. He can see everything I see.  
"I though' I saw me daughter's Pink Paratroopa frien', too," Bowser growls, "but I dunno if she was helpin' er or chasin' er."  
"I don't know, either, Bowser," Eggman says. Then he turns away, gives an evil smile and says,  
"Eventually, I WILL find Pumpkin, and she WILL be my prisoner again!" Eggman laughs evilly. Then then he holds up a giant blaster.  
"Once I have Pumpkin again, I shall suck her powers using this invention. Then, using her powers," Dr. Eggman's evil grin widens, and he laughs once again, "EGGMAN LAND WILL FINALLY COME TO BE!!! HOHOHOHO!!!!!"  
Oh no! The Doctor really wants to use me now! I can't be captured by him again! If the Doctor captures me, Earth will be in danger, and so will Planet Mobius... The entire UNIVERSE will be in danger! And it will all be my fault...  
"Well 'scuse me, what about BOWSER LAND?????!!!!!" Bowser stomps and roars in Eggman's face, causing Eggman's mustache to blow in one direction and almost blowing his goggles away.  
Dr. Eggman's mustache was all poofy, making him look not bald. As Dr. Eggman was fixing his mustache and adjusting his goggles, he replies to Bowser,  
"Yes, Bowser Land will come, too... We could use your daughter's powers as well..."  
Bowser gasps. Then he roars louder than last time, this time with steam racing out of his nostrils, "Donchu ever, EVER lay a finger on BOWSAY!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!! I can handle her mySELF, because she's MY daughter!!!!!! Sure, you can handle Pumpkin cause she's YOUR pris'ner, but you dunno how to handle BOWSAY!!!!!"  
Wow, Bowser must be pretty strict about who can handle his children...  
Dr. Eggman has a shocking look on his face. "O-okay, Bowser, I didn't know, I'm sorry-"  
"Ye should be," The Koopa King grunts, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. Then he orders, "Kamek, lead a search party! We can't le' those two get away!"  
Suddenly, a shiny, white portal appears and floats in midair. Then, out of the portal comes a Koopa with a blue robe, a blue pointy hat, glasses, vampire teeth, a magic wand, and on a broomstick. This must be Kamek.  
"Right on!" Kamek says in a high, squeaky, roaring voice. "C'mon, boys, we have a Koopaling and a fox to catch!"  
There are koopatroopas, paratroopas, goombas, paragoombas, Hammer Bros, Boomerang Bros, Fire Bros, and these things that sort of look like Kamek with hovering hats - I think they're called Toadies. That's a pretty huge search party.  
Bowsay - still a pink paratroopa - flies near the cave to join me and whoever this dark figure is.  
"Follow me," the figure orders in a deep voice. We are led deeper and deeper into the cave until we find a slight bit of light.  
The figure pauses.  
"We are going 1,000 years to the future," the figure states. This figure kind of looks like a hedgehog...  
The hedgehog (I think) raises his paw, creating a black portal.  
"Step through and you will be safe," he informs us.  
Bowsay immediately steps through. I hesitate, though, because I don't know if I should trust this hedgehog. He worries me.  
I look back behind me, and I hear Kamek's laugh. Oh no, he's coming. I have no choice now.  
I step through the portal.  
While in the portal, I feel like I'm on a roller coaster in a pitch-black room, not knowing when the ride would turn next. It's so dizzy, it's even worse than flying...  
I find myself landing on hard, dirty ground. We seem to be in these ruins. It almost looks like we're in a desert.  
Bowsay is back to her normal form. She reaches her claw for me, helping me up.  
"Thanks, Bowsay," I say appreciatively. She smiles and nods.  
I turn toward the dark hedgehog figure. Now that I can see him better in light, I recognize exactly who he is. But he doesn't talk that deep...  
"What are you doing, Shadow?" I ask. How did he know which direction we were gonna evacuate our treehouse? How did he know we were heading for the cave? I didn't even know Shadow could travel through time without a Chaos Emerald! Well, I really need him right now.  
The black hedgehog stares at me.  
"My name is not Shadow," he recites.  
Huh? That is clearly Shadow's exact form. How can that not be him?  
The black hedgehog saunters towards me, shooting me a curious but angry look. Then he says,  
"My name is Mephiles."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	12. The Flashback

Mephiles? I've never heard a name like that before. I ask the dark hedgehog more questions, such as "Where did you come from?" and "Do you have a family?" and "Why do you live here?"  
Apparently he's lived alone all his life. He also travels through time, so he doesn't live in any specific place. His time traveling patterns are so similar to Shadow's Chaos Control...  
I tell Mephiles me and Bowsay's story. I explain my powers to him. Then I tell him how I accidentally killed my mother with my blue flames.  
"You can also, shape-shift, Pumpkin," Mephiles informs me.  
What? No way. How come I've never accidentally shape-shifted? I definitely would have preferred that over fire...  
Mephiles then interrupts my thoughts. "Really, what did your brother ever do for you?" He challenges me, walking behind me and putting his paws on my shoulders as if he were the devil.  
"He was always there to take care of me after our mother's death," I say, not making eye contact.  
"But would ever he spend enough time with you?" Mephiles questions.  
I shoot a glare back at him. Yes, he would!  
"Ever since he became friends with Sonic the Hedgehog, he spent more time with Sonic than he did with you," Mephiles saunters around me mysteriously, "honestly, Pumpkin, did Tails really care about you enough?"  
"Yes, he did," I defend, "and he's the only one who cares about me enough." What is this hedgehog trying to do to me? He's definitely not Shadow.  
"Maybe he's the only family you have left, but just think, child," Mephiles stops in front of me, "as time went by, he spent more time with Sonic and less time with you. How did it feel to be lonely?" Mephiles touches his paw to my chest. I try to get him off, but then I start to see a flashback.  
The flashback starts with Tails and I as baby fox pups. We're jumping up and down, and I have a bad feeling I know what we're trying to do...  
"Miles! Pumpkin! What are you two doing?" I hear the voice that I've been longing to hear forever.  
I see my beautiful mother, with her smoothe fur, sparkly blue eyes, and her lovely motherly voice. She's everything a perfect mother can be.  
I miss you, Mother.  
"Pumpkin and I are trying to see if we can fly with our two tails!" my past-brother informs excitingly.  
"I'm gonna get it first, Miles!" My past-self teases. I then jump, but then I fall.  
"Who said you would beat me, sis?" past-Tails teases me back. He then jumps, and then he starts to hover a little bit.  
"I'm almost there!" He then jumps again, and then he starts floating.  
"I did it!" Tails then sticks his tongue out at me and teases me, "I knew I could figure it out first!" I see myself pouting.  
"Very good, my boy! Very good!" My mother cheers, clapping her paws.  
"Mama, why does Miles have to learn before me? I'm older than him!" I complain.  
"Don't be afraid, my girl, for your time will come," my mother comforts me. "You may be older than him, but only by one second. You will be okay."  
Come back to me, Mother. Make me okay again.  
My past-self then makes a confident face and keeps trying to jump. Then, my two tails finally hover at the right speed, and I start to fly, which is about to be the worst mistake I ever made in my life.  
"Mama! Mama! I'm flying!" I shout.  
"Very good, Pumpkin! Very good!" my mother congratulates. I see how proud she is of me. I can see it in her smile, her eyes, her face, everything.  
I'm sorry, Mother.  
My father then comes behind my mother.  
"Daddy! Daddy! I learned how to fly with my two tails!" my brother says.  
"I did too!" I proudly claim.  
My father smiles. "Great job, children!"  
My past-self then starts flying all over the place.  
"Now, Pumpkin, child, I know you are as happy as can be, but you must not use so much of your energy!" my mother informs me.  
"But mama, flying is so much fun!" I keep flying wild.  
Pumpkin, what are you doing?!  
"Yes, it may be, Pumpkin, but you don't wanna hurt yourself!" my father warns me.  
"But Daddy, I can't stop!" Past-me keep laughing and flying out of control.  
Yes you can stop, Pumpkin!  
"Pumpkin!" past-Tails yells, "Slow down!"  
At that moment, I got a little too excited and a little out of control.  
I spin in the air, and the blue flame shoots out of me and strikes my mother in the heart.  
"NO!!!!!" the present-me shouts, but my past-family can't hear me.  
Why am I seeing this again? Why do I need to witness the event that ruined my life forever? Everything changed, and nothing will ever be the same again...  
As I keep watching the flashback, I realize Mephiles is behind me.  
"You!" I growl, "Why are you showing me this?!"  
"Because we must refresh ourselves of the past in order to learn for the future," he answers.  
I then see my father bark in mourning. Then, as soon as I lean over my mother's dying body, my father stares at me in shock and fear and runs away.  
Father, how could you?  
After my father runs, Tails puts his paw on my back. Then he leans over and cries over our mother's body.  
My mother then says to me her last words, "Pumpkin, dear... no matter how cruel the world may be... don't cry." At that moment, my crying calms down.  
"And Miles... Take good care of your sister."  
My mother stops breathing and her heart stops beating.  
"Miles, I didn't mean to, it was an accident, I swear! I don't know how I did it!" I affirm to my brother.  
"I know you didn't Pumpkin, I know," he replies. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."  
All of a sudden, a bunch of robots surround us. Badniks.  
The Doctor then walks in the circle.  
"Hohoho! Two foxes with two tails? You two creatures shall be my first prisoners!"  
This was the day the Doctor began his robot-power takeover of the world.  
"Pumpkin! We need to get out of here!" Tails demands.  
"I'm not flying, Miles! I don't wanna hurt anyone!" My past self says.  
Tails gets angry at me, but then he uses all his might to fly away from the Badniks.  
"If Pumpkin and I are gonna be safe from those robots and that man," Tails says, "then we're gonna have to have some robots ourselves!"  
"You see, your brother may have loved you very much at first," Mephiles waves his paw, and the scene changes, "but everything changed when he met Sonic the Hedgehog."  
The scene changes to a few years after my catastrophe. My brother had to teach himself engineering in order for the two of us to survive. He's currently out in the woods working on an invention.  
"Oh no, it's that Pumpkin Prower girl!" a voice taunts. "I'm so scared, don't kill me, oh no!" A monkey about the size of Tails then comes out of the tree.  
"Sorry, but I'm not Pumpkin Prower," my brother corrects. "Pumpkin is my twin sister. I'm her brother, Miles Prower."  
"Oh, why it's Tails!" A giant gorilla swings down from another tree. "What's that little piece of junk you're making there? OOK OOK!"  
"It's not junk, and it's for my sister," Tails defends.  
"Oh, so you're still helping your sister?" a sly fox with one tail appears.  
"Yes, because I'm the only family she has, and she's afraid to go out into the world, so it's up to me to take care of her."  
I need you, Tails.  
"Why would you help her? She already killed your mother!" the monkey taunts. At that moment, Tails clenches his fists.  
"She didn't mean to do any of it at all! That's why she isolates herself from others, so she won't hurt anyone else, and so that people like YOU won't hurt her!"  
I love you, Tails.  
"Ohhh, someone's mad!" the one-tailed fox smirks. "But honestly, as long as your sister is alive, you'll never get anywhere in life. And as for that cruddy invention..."  
"It's not cruddy!" Tails fights back. "It's to help Pumpkin relieve her stress and depression back at my workshop!"  
Relieve my stress and depression? I really would have needed that. At least Tails thought of it.  
But the monkey holds Tails back. The one-tailed fox laughs, and the gorilla raises his fist, about to smash his invention.  
"No! Please don't you guys! Leave it alone!" Tails struggles to break free from the monkey.  
"No! Keep away!"  
But the gorilla smashes the invention into pieces.  
Wow, Tails really went through so much for me...  
Tails then walks around with his destroyed invention.  
"This was going to help Pumpkin so much," he says, a small tear coming to his eye.  
A blue wind then rushes by. Tails then follows it and sees Sonic.  
"Woah! That guy's cool!" Tails claims. He then hops out of the bushes and follows the path. I stay close behind him as he says, "I wonder where he's going!"  
Tails then ends up at a beach and sees a red plane. The Tornado!  
"Wow! This plane look pretty fast!" Tails hops into the pilot's seat. "But I bet I can make it even faster!"  
The scene then fast-forwards to Tails painting the plane blue. Sonic then appears.  
"What do you think you're doing?" he asks, smirking.  
Tails hops down and explains, "Sorry, but when I see a machine, I can't help myself! I hope you don't mind I changed the engine to make it faster!"  
"Hm..." Sonic looks up at his newly modified plane. "I like what you did with the color too!"  
Tails smiles in appreciation and says, "Come and see what else I did!"  
"So, you've been following me around all morning to check out my airplane?" Sonic asks. "Or is there something else you want?"  
"Well, you see, I like to build and repair stuff," Tails puts his head down and admits, "so they all make fun of me." Tails then looks up at Sonic and continues, "You looked cool, so I followed you, and when I found your plane, I figured I'd fix it up and we could be friends! ...If you want to."  
"Really? What got you into building and repairing?" Sonic asks.  
"Well, I have a twin sister. And a few years ago, she caused a terrible accident that I don't wanna talk about..." Tails closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and continues, "So I had to teach myself engineering so I could take care of her. But everyone often mistakes me for her, and when I tell them I'm her twin, they make fun of me and destroy my inventions..."  
"Well what's your name, pal?"  
Just look at that! Sonic already called him "pal"!  
"Miles Prower! Uh, but my friends call me Tails..."  
"And what's your sister's name?"  
"Pumpkin, Pumpkin Prower..."  
"Ah, I see, so you ARE Pumpkin's twin!" Sonic says, but he doesn't seem scared at all.  
Tails' eyebrows raise in astonishment. "You know who she is?!"  
"Everyone knows who Pumpkin Prower is, even though no one really knows what happened to her after her accident," Sonic informs, "But don't worry, kid, I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Sonic!"  
Sonic looks back at the Tornado.  
"Nice job, Tails! I could use a mechanic and a friend!"  
Tails gasps. "You mean that?"  
Sonic gives a wink and a thumbs up, "Ha! You bet!"  
The scene then changes, and I see myself alone at Tails' workshop.  
"Pumpkin!" Tails calls me, "I want you to meet someone!"  
I walk out the door and I see Tails with Sonic.  
"You must be Pumpkin Prower!" says Sonic. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"  
"He's a friend!" My brother tells me. "And he's going to help us so much!"  
"You have an awesome brother, Pumpkin, don't forget that!" Sonic affirms me.  
My past self nods and smiles. I didn't really talk much back then...  
But then the scene changes to a few years later.  
I see myself again, alone at Tails' workshop.  
"Can Tails hurry up and get here? I am sick and tired of waiting for him to get back from all his adventures," my past-self says.  
I then walk outside to get some fresh air.  
"Not too far, Pumpkin, or else your gonna hurt yourself or someone else..." my past self mutters under her breath.  
My past self then spreads her arms out. "Tails, I know you're out there, and I hope you're still thinking about me... I hope you haven't forgotten me..."  
"You see, Pumpkin," Mephiles explains, "As time passed, Tails spent more time with Sonic and less time with you."  
The flashback ends. I'm back in the dry desert, and Mephiles takes his paw off my chest.  
At first I didn't believe Mephiles, but now I start to believe him more and more. Tails spent less time with me as the years went by. Does he really want to help me that much anymore?  
"Enough people are already afraid of you, Pumpkin," Mephiles informs me, "And if everyone finds out about the bond between you and Iblis, the world will turn against you. Eventually, you will be forced to unleash the Flames inside you."  
"Iblis? What is Iblis?" What could this hedgehog be talking about?  
"You see," Mephiles points at the sky, "up there lives a sun god named Solaris. When it is angry, it causes these Flames of Disaster known as Iblis. There once was the Solaris Project. But then the project malfunctioned, and so Solaris was split into two parts. Iblis is the raw part, which you have, Pumpkin. And you may seem to know who the cunning mind is." Mephiles raises his paw, revealing a picture of himself. Wait, no, that's not him... It's Shadow.  
"What did Shadow do that was so wrong?" I question. He was Tails' ally that I related to the most!  
"Iblis is angry at him right now," he explains. "I know not why, but you must eliminate him. Otherwise, the Flames of Disaster will destroy us all!"  
"The Flames of Disaster known as Iblis... That's what my fire power is?" I ask.  
"Yes," the dark hedgehog answers. "But you must keep your powers under control, or else you will increase your chance of releasing the Flames... Just like how you killed your mother."  
"Don't even talk about it," I demand. "I miss her too much."  
"If you really miss her enough, you can see her again," Mephiles offers. "But you must listen to what I say."  
Should I really listen to Mephiles? He  
has such mysterious power, and it worries me...  
But he speaks of reason to me. He made me realize that Tails doesn't care about me as much as he used to. Of course Tails cares more about Sonic-Sonic's the only one he cares about these days.  
And I'd do anything to see my Mother again. I thought it would be impossible to undo her death, but maybe with Mephiles it will actually be possible.  
"Pumpkin! I don't know if I would listen to him! You don't know what you're putting yourself in to!" Bowsay warns me, but I ignore her.  
I get down on one knee and say, "I am fully at your service, Mephiles the Dark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	13. The Prophecy

I don't like this Mephiles thing... He's really turned Pumpkin all over the place. There's just something about him that's not right...  
OW! A green fireball just hit the back of my head... As I look behind me, I spot a little green dude in a red cape. Who is that?  
"Ah, yes! Bowser's mysterious little girl! With her on my side, Bowser would LOVE the taste of defeat again!" he smirks.  
"Now, Vacuum Helmet, suck up the Dark Star's power!" he announces.  
Oh no, what's happening? There's this black substance coming out of me! It's somehow not going all the way into that Helmet, though...  
"Ah," using the rocket in his helmet, the little dude hovers directly to my face, "I always knew that there was something special about one of Bowser's two girls! Now there's ANOTHER ingredient to my Fury Dollar Foot-Long!" Wow, does this guy always talk about food?  
Once the little dude realizes the substance can't go all the way inside his helmet, he wails, "NOOOO!!!!!!!!! DARK STAR, ACCEPT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
The Dark Star? I remember reading all about it. No, could this possibly be the guy I'm thinking of that I read about in my books...?  
All of the black substance immediately zips back into me once Mephiles intervenes.  
"Who might you be?" the dark hedgehog demands.  
"I am Lord Fawful! And I have such FURY!!!!!!!"  
Fawful. I knew it.  
"And who might YOU be?" Fawful demands.  
"I am Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark."  
"You seem as dark as dark chocolate!"  
"Please, spare me the food talk," Mephiles rolls his eyes. Then he focuses back on Fawful.  
"You are too late, Fawful," Mephiles disappears and reappears behind the dude. "She is going to be mine. Go and find others with this 'Dark Star' power." I thought Mephiles's deep, mysterious voice would scare Fawful away. It didn't, however.  
"That is LORD Fawful to you, you beast! There is only one Dark Star, and its power's been swallowed by this monster! There was always something special, something different about Bowser's youngest daughter, different from any other Koopa. She has had the Dark Star inside her belly since she was BORN!!!" Fawful laughs.  
What? Have I really had the Dark Star? How did that even happen? I remember reading all about it, and my father, along with Mario and Luigi, destroyed it!  
"If you haven't heard, you are too late, the Koopaling is MINE!" Mephiles growled.  
"NOOOOOO!!!! She was FAWFUL'S first!!!!!!" Fawful growls back.  
I'm sorry, I don't belong to anyone.  
Mephiles and Fawful are, the next thing I notice, in a brawl. Mephiles makes clones of himself while Fawful is shooting fireballs.  
Just when Mephiles has Fawful at his mercy, Fawful shouts,  
"Okay! OKAY!!!!! How about we make a deal?" he grins.  
"What is it?" Mephiles crosses his arms.  
"How about we BOTH become friends, eh? And Bowsalini-"  
"-BowSAY!!!" I correct.  
"-yes, yes, BowSAY and this whatever two-tailed fox-"  
"PUMPKIN!!!" Pumpkin corrects.  
"-yes, yes, yes," Fawful continues, "and PUMPKIN, well, they can stay with us. Fawful can teach Bowsay the Dark Star, as well as how to control its power."  
"Fine," Mephiles agrees. "I will teach Pumpkin about Iblis."  
"I'm not gonna let ANYONE teach me!" I object. Seriously, Fawful, I don't trust you!  
"Really, Bowsay?" Fawful sneers. "You know, your father is a terrible creature!"  
"Yes, I know he is." I look down, then look back up and state, "But he's MY father, therefore he's MY problem, not yours!"  
"Ooooo, such a loyal little daughter, aren't you?" Fawful taunts. My golly, he's just like I imagined him in my books...  
"Really, did your daddy ever love you enough?"  
"Yes, he did," I answer. "He may have been a hateful creature, but he loves his children unconditionally, especially me."  
"Hm, I see." Fawful then questions me again, "Did your siblings ever love you enough?"  
"Well, my brothers often picked on me because I was different, especially Bowser Jr... But I do look up to Ludwig, my oldest brother, and to Wendy O., my only sister. And in the end, we're all a family, and we all love each other unconditionally."  
"Very well, little girl," Fawful smirks, "but did your MOTHER ever love you enough?"  
No... Fawful, why did you even ask me that?  
"I... I never knew my mother..."  
"Fawful knows what happened to her," Fawful claims.  
I shoot him a look. How can he know this?  
"What, do you want Fawful to tell you?" Fawful starts, "Well, your father has been terrible to her! But before we go into those details, let's look a few recipes back on your past, shall we?"  
Fawful tosses out a small gadget. The gadget then projects a life-sized holographic image.  
What is this place? It all looks so familiar...  
Papa's castle!  
"C'mere kids! It's finally happening!" I hear my dad call.  
I turn around and see Papa holding two eggs - a pink one and a green one.  
"Now, what do those two eggs look like?" Fawful asks me.  
"That's... That's me and Junior!" I realize. "Papa! Papa-!"  
"He can't hear you," Fawful informs me. "This is just a flashback. Ooo, I could just scramble those eggs and eat them for breakfast!"  
Okay, ignore Fawful...  
As I keep watching, I see all my seven other siblings run in the room.  
"Ooo! Is another egg hatching?" Lemmy asks, busting through the door on his giant ball.  
"Get out of the way, Lemmy!" Larry complains, kicking Lemmy off his ball.  
"Ooo, this seems like another unusual circumstance!" Iggy says looking demented (like he always does).  
"Stop with the big words, Iggy!" Morton Jr. roars. "All you ever do is talk like you wanna-"  
"Shut up with the talking, Morton!" Roy interrupts.  
Finally, Ludwig walks in and realizes the catastrophe of all the other Koopalings.  
"SILENCE!!!!!!!!!" He roars.  
All the other Koopalings stop talking and stare at him. My golly, they're all so young...  
"Thank yeh, Ludwig," Papa praises my eldest brother and pats him on the head.  
"I know, Father, I know!" Ludwig claims. But he doesn't know that all of that will be taken away from him in a few minutes...  
"Hey guys! Wait for me!" I hear a little girl's voice call. Wendy O.!  
"I'm sorry I'm late, Papa," she apologizes, "but do I have to watch another egg hatch? It's just gonna be another boy, and I wanna have a sister!"  
"Well, great news, little girl!" Papa smiles. "Yeh're about to have another brother, BUT yeh're also about to have a sister!"  
"Ew!" "Gross!" "Another girl in the family?!" "Why?!" My brothers don't seem excited...  
"Oh poor you," Fawful taunts, "no one even wanted you before you hatched!"  
"Wendy did!" I remind him, but he ignores me.  
"Yay! I can finally have someone to play with!" Wendy squeals in excitement. However, her mood suddenly changes. "But will that mean I have to share my things with her?"  
"Yes, Wendy," Papa answers, "yeh'll have to share with your new sister."  
"WAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!" Wendy O. cries. "I DON'T WANT A SISTER NOW!!!!!!"  
Wendy? Not even you wanted me?  
"Now now, children, let's be good to your new siblings!" Papa roars. Thank you, Papa!  
The two eggs start hatching. The pink egg hatches first.  
That's me.  
The green egg then hatches.  
That's Junior.  
"Everyone welcome yehr new siblings!"  
"Hi new brother and sister..." "Welcome to the Koopa family..."  
The rest of my siblings don't seem excited about our birth... How could they?  
Ludwig is the only one that looks excited. Which makes sense, because Ludwig was always so nice to me. But he was always so mean to Junior...  
"Why they're wonderful, Papa!" He runs up to me and Junior. "Can I hold one of them?"  
"Sure thing, Ludwig!"  
Papa hands my baby self to Ludwig. My baby self giggles at the sight of my older brother.  
"Aw, she's so perfect!" Ludwig states. "They both look so much like you, Papa!"  
"Yup, they sure do!" Papa agrees. Baby Junior looks up at Papa and smiles.  
"Pa-pa!" Baby Junior says.  
"Hey, lookie here! This kiddo already knows his first word!" says Papa.  
And he's right. "Papa" was his first word. And he has to be SO proud of it...  
"He's gonna grow up to be very smart," Papa predicts, "and he'll be a big bad kicking-butt leader of the Koopa Troop after I die!"  
Ludwig then stops rocking me and shoots my father a shocking look.  
"Are you saying that I'm not the heir to the Koopa throne anymore?!"  
So that's why Ludwig's been mean to Junior... He wants the throne from him...  
"Look at you! Yeh lil' ferocious monster!" Papa ignores Ludwig and teases Baby Junior after He tries to bite his finger. "I'm gonna call you Bowser Junior!"  
"BOWSER JUNIOR! BOWSER JUNIOR!" My siblings shout. They seem a little more exciting after hearing the name.  
"Papa, would you like to hold your new daughter?!" Ludwig tries to distract Papa, still angry that the throne had just been taken away from him.  
"Meh new daughter? What new daughter?"  
"A-HEM!" Ludwig holds out my baby self.  
"Oh, uh, right... Take Bowser Jr., Ludwig - and don't hurt him!"  
While Ludwig is still in anger, he and Papa trade.  
"Oh, Bowsay..." Fawful taunts, "it had only been a few minutes, and he had already FORGOTTEN YOU!!!!!!!!"  
Trying to ignore Fawful again, I watch Papa with my baby self.  
"You also look just like me... except for the pink and purple colors," Papa observes. "You look very quiet, but very intelligent... Now, say 'Papa'!"  
My baby self just stares at Papa in silence.  
"C'mon, lil' girl, say 'Papa'!"  
"Pa... pa..."  
"That's meh girl!" Papa congratulates. "I'm gonna name yeh... Bowsay."  
"YAY BOWSAY! YAY BOWSAY!" The Koopalings cheer.  
"Yay Bowsay!" Wendy O. cheers one time by herself. "I finally have a sister!"  
Well, at least she was somewhat excited...  
Papa smiles. "Bowser Jr., Bowsay, welcome to the Koopa Family!"  
Suddenly, a wall starts to bang, and sirens start to go off.  
"That's Mario," Papa informs us. "Morton, take Bowsay. Quick everyone - get out!"  
All the Koopalings run out of the room as Mario breaks through the wall.  
"Ok, we all know what happens next," Fawful interrupts. "Mario defeats Bowser and rescues Princess Peach, blah blah blah blah blah..."  
"Why are you showing me this?" I demand of him. What does all this have to do with anything?  
"Patience, tiny one," Fawful replies, "there's more!"  
The scene then changes to Kamek's Library when we're slightly older. Kamek is educating me, Junior, and the rest of the Koopalings. We're all reading right now.  
"Now, Bowser Jr., what book are you currently reading?" Kamek asks.  
"The Tales of Gremmy the Goomba!" Young Junior shouts.  
Oh my word, I remember him reading those books all the time, those were his favorites...  
"QUIET JUNIOR! WE'RE IN A LIBRARY!" The rest of the Koopalings whisper loudly.  
"You're always reading those books..." Kamek complains.  
"Now, Bowsay, what might you be reading this time?" Kamek asks.  
"The Works and Philosophies of Zeno Koopa!" My younger self answers.  
Kamek's face then turns to shock.  
"Z-Z-Zeno Koopa? At your age?" the Magikoopa questions.  
"Yes!" My past self exclaims. "Zeno Koopa believed that anything that causes us to suffer in life is actually an error in our judgment, and that we should always have absolute control over our emotions!"  
"Woah, woah, princess - SLOW DOWN!" Kamek is shocked at how much I know at such a young age. It's not my fault I love to read...  
"Wow! Great job Bowsay!" Ludwig praises. "You're definitely going to be better leader than your twin brother when you grow up! Gimme a fist bump!"  
As I jump and gives Ludwig a fist bump, all the other Koopalings stare at me while Wendy is the only one smiling.  
My brothers really do think I'm strange just because I read so much... At least Ludwig and my one sister appreciated me.  
Young Junior then complains, "HEY!!!!! When I'm leader, I'm gonna be better than ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!"  
"Um, Bowsay," Kamek tries to change the subject, "Are you sure you don't wanna read The Adventures of Princess Peach?"  
"No, that story's boring!" my past self says. "At the end of the story, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by a monster! I don't like that ending!"  
"You must not know who that monster is, then, do you?" Kamek questions me.  
I do now.  
Just before I can speak, the alarms go off.  
"Mario is in the castle!" Kamek informs us. "Everyone report to your stations! Koopalings, report to your rooms IMMEDIATELY!"  
All of us evacuate the library, but then my younger self starts running towards the table we were just sitting at.  
"What are you doing sis?" Wendy O. demands. "We need to get out of here now!"  
"I forgot my book!" I answer. "I need to go back and get it!"  
As I pick up my book, Ludwig runs back and picks me up. "I got you, Bowsay!"  
Fawful and I follow my past self and Ludwig through Papa's castle.  
As it gets pitch-black, Ludwig trips, dropping me.  
"Ludwig!" I scream. "Help!"  
"Bowsay, just get up and keep running!" Ludwig orders.  
My past self gets up, and Fawful and I follow. Where could I be going?  
When my younger self sees light at last, I immediately runs toward it. As Fawful and I catch up, we see the room where Princess Peach is being help captive.  
"Ah, this day," Fawful says. "This was the day when you learned how cruel your daddy truly was. The Koopalings already knew, but you didn't know, Bowsay... yet."  
I remember this day... I remember it all.  
"Are you... are you Princess Peach?" my younger self asks.  
"Yes, little one," Peach answers. "and who might you be?"  
"I'm Bowsay! And my daddy is the awesome King Bowser!"  
"Oh... I'm sure you have an awesome father..."  
"What's wrong, Princess Peach?"  
"It's your father..."  
"What about him?" I pause.  
"The monster that kidnapped Peach at the end of the book...  
"Princess Peach, was that monster who kidnapped you my father?!"  
"Yes..." Princess Peach answers. "Did he ever tell you?"  
"No..."  
"Oh... I was sure all of Bowser's children knew. At least seven of them do. I didn't know he had another daughter!"  
"Yes, and he has another son, who happens to be my twin..."  
I then gasp. "You mean Ludwig and Larry and Iggy and Lemmy and-"  
"Yes, little one, those seven." Peach closes her eyes.  
"You're so nice, Princess Peach," my younger self affirms. "I don't see why my father would kidnap you!"  
A banging sound then comes from Peach's room.  
"Run, little one, before your father sees you!" Peach warns me. I then run away.  
"You should've known the truth about your father the whole time," Fawful tells me. "But once you figured it out, you isolated yourself from everyone ever since."  
And Fawful's right. I did. I hardly talked to anyone at all.  
After Mario defeats Papa and leaves with Princess Peach, Papa, all beaten and bruised, commands, "Kids, stay behind. I'm goin' on vacation. Bowser Jr., Bowsay, come with me!"  
"I don't wanna go with you, Papa!" my younger self snaps.  
"Oh c'mon, Bowsay, have fun!" Papa tries to encourage me.  
"I'm not gonna have fun," I claim. "I'd rather stay home with the rest of the Koopalings!"  
"Er, fine..." Papa looks at younger Junior.  
"C'mon, son, we're gonna have a blast!"  
"Alright, Papa!"  
Papa and Junior chest bump.  
Does Junior know the truth about Papa yet?  
"Oh, and by the way, before we leave, I want yeh ter have this!" Papa hands Junior a magic graffiti brush.  
Why Papa, out of all nine of your children, why do you have to give Junior all the special treatment?  
"Alright, we're off! Kamek, take good care of meh kids!" Papa and Junior depart on an airship. This was when they were going to Isle Delfino.  
"Aw no fair! Why can't we go on any vacation?!" Larry complains.  
Using over-dramatic expressions and body language, Iggy replies, "I know right! To us he's always like, 'YOU'RE MY KIDS, GET BACK TO WORK!' But then with Junior he's like 'Oh I'm gonna give you such special treatment because you're just like me!'"  
"Iggy! Calm yourself!" Ludwig commands. "We all do not think it's fair!"  
Thank you, Ludwig!  
"Bowsay, why didn't you wanna go on vacation with Papa and Junior?" Wendy O. questions me. "I would've taken that opportunity in a heartbeat!"  
"It's just that... Papa's... never mind."  
I then run away to be alone, beginning that long period of my isolation.  
The scene then changes to Papa and Junior's airship.  
"Now yeh see this lady, Junior?" Papa shows my brother a picture of Princess Peach. "This is yehr mama, Mama Peach!"  
But I know she's not my real mama...  
"And see this man?" Papa shows him a picture of Mario. "This is Mario. He kidnapped yehr mama!"  
"My mama is... a human?" he asks.  
Oh my golly, Junior, don't be so stupid!  
"Um, yeah... All ye Koopalings just happened to be Koopalings and not humans, hehe!"  
I can just tell that Papa was making it all up.  
"Well, if you want me to fight this Mario, then I'll do it for you," he promised. That was how much he had to love Papa.  
"That's my boy!" Papa says. "Now, use that Magic Brush of yours and go get 'em, kid!"  
Papa gives him a fist bump. Young Junior then uses his Magic Brush to paint one of his bibs into a Shadow Mario bib.  
The scene then changes to Papa and Junior outside Isle Delfino. They were just defeated by Mario and his F.L.U.D.D. Papa and Junior are sitting on top of their hot tub out at the sea, watching the island.  
"Junior," Papa begins, "I've got something... difficult... to tell you about Princess Peach..."  
"I know, she's not really my mama..." he interrupts.  
Papa stares at him in shock. Well, he kinda wasn't stupid Papa...  
Young Junior then begins to say, "Someday... when I'm bigger..."  
He pauses, looks at Papa, and declares, "I wanna fight that Mario again!"  
And he has. Several times.  
"That's my boy! Well put, son!" Papa praises me. "The royal Koopa line is as strong as ever! But for now... Let's just rest awhile."  
The flashback ends, and the scene changes back to the dry, rocky desert.  
"You thought you knew everything, did you not, Bowsay?" Fawful flies in circles around me.  
"You see, no one ever loved you!"  
"Wendy and Ludwig loved me!" I protest.  
"I love Bowsay too!" Pumpkin interrupts.  
Pumpkin, stay out of this...  
"And..." I can't believe I'm about to say this, but here it goes, "As much as I don't like what my father does, he always loved me... And I love him too."  
"Maybe daddy did love you," says Fawful, "but like I was asking before, did mommy ever love you enough?"  
"You were about to tell me everything about her. Tell me now, Fawful - WHERE IS SHE?!"  
"Like I was saying, your father has been terrible to her! Just listen to this!" He holds an audio recorder up to my ear.  
"Leave, Clawdia!" I hear Papa roar. "LEAVE!!!"  
So Clawdia's her name? What could she have done that made my father so mad at her?  
"But Bowser, I only-" my mother started. Then my dad interrupted.  
"You mustn't be here! You cannot!" Dad yelled. I picture saliva shooting out of his mouth like a cannon.  
"Honey, please, trust me! I know-"  
"No, yeh don't-"  
"LET ME FINISH!!!!! For goodness sake!" My mother growled.  
There was a pause, then a sound sounding like an object falling to the floor.  
"If you can't do this, then I'm gonna eat your brain!" Papa grumbled.  
"No, Bowser! NOOOOO!!!!!" My mother cried. My father made roaring sounds while my mother screamed. Then there was silence. Dead silence. The audio stops.  
He killed her. My dad killed my mom. He ate her brain. I can't believe he would do such a thing. Cannibal. How could he do this? My own father killed my own mother! I start crying. I'm gonna kill him. Next time I see him, I'm gonna eat HIS brain!  
I sit on the floor, tuck my knees in, and put my head down. I hate him even more now.  
"I know, Daddy's a terrible model, but Fawful can help you with that," Fawful offers. "You are actually more powerful than your father."  
I poke my head up. "I am?" I ask, wiping a tear off my cheek. How could I be more powerful than the King of the Koopas if I'm only his daughter?  
"You see, Bowsay, you have the Dark Star inside of you," the little dude informs.  
So I DO have the Dark Star. But how did I get it? Fawful will probably answer me.  
"What makes you more powerful, Bowsay, is that this mysterious power of the Dark Star came to your world. This is why you have a twin, because this power fell into Bowser Jr. while he was still being created and copied most of his DNA."  
Oh my golly, don't even talk about Bowser Jr... I may have almost all of his DNA, but I'm NOT him, he's too annoying...  
"Your power is very deep and strong. This is why you can hypnotize." So I CAN hypnotize. Daddy's minions aren't so dumb after all.  
I then stand up and ask Fawful, "Is that also why I can shape-shift?"  
"Yes, that is why," he answers. "Bowser Jr. only took the form of Shadow Mario that time at Delfino Island because he used that mask and his Magic Paintbrush to turn himself into Shadow Mario. No, your twin brother cannot shape-shift. Only you can." How does Fawful know all these details about my family and me? It's like he stalks me!  
"You can also breath blue fire," he informs me. Blue fire? I'm too young to breathe fire at all! I've never tried to breathe fire, anyways... And only the roughest, strongest, smartest Koopas can breathe BLUE fire!  
Mephiles then says to both me and Pumpkin,  
"Since you two are in grave danger of being kidnapped, you cannot survive without these powers. And you cannot use these powers correctly without training."  
Finally, Pumpkin asks Mephiles and Fawful,  
"What do you want from us?"  
Mephiles begins to explain,  
"There has, indeed, been a prophecy created over 2,000 years ago - 1,000 years ago in your time period - that was declared; 'Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness...'"  
"Yes, Fawful has heard the same prophecy," Fawful claims. "You two are the Two, and you must eliminate all the darkness in your path."  
"Which means you will have to eliminate your loved ones," Mephiles warns. "Pumpkin, you must eliminate Tails and Shadow. I know how hard it may be for you, but it must be done in order to fulfill the prophecy. They will only come back in the end and stab you in the back if you don't do so."  
"I'll do it," Pumpkin says without hesitating. "Tails has already stabbed me in the back enough, and I'll eliminate Shadow if I have to. I am not gonna see any more darkness in this world ever again."  
Something's not right about Mephiles. He just made Pumpkin turn against her own brother, her only family whom she valued most!  
What if Fawful makes me turn against my own family? I mean, I already hate my family enough, ESPECIALLY Papa, but I'd rather destroy them for myself, not for anyone else.  
"Bowsay," Fawful begins to command me. Oh great, here it comes.  
"You must eliminate your father and your brother in order to fulfill the prophecy. Then you must eliminate all your other siblings."  
"Which brother?" I check.  
"Which brother do you THINK?" Fawful growls.  
"I dunno, I HAVE SEVEN BROTHERS!"  
"Yeesh, Fawful would definitely mean Bowser Jr.!"  
I figured Fawful meant Junior, but I just wanted to see what he would say if I asked.  
"I'm definitely going to eliminate my father one day, but I'll never do it for you, Fawful!" I threaten.  
"Aw, Fawful was going to take you to see your mother... Looks like it's not gonna happen..."  
Wait, see my mother?  
"You mean it?" I demand.  
"Oh yes, Fawful always keeps his word in the oven!" he smiles.  
"If that is so," I get down on one knee, "Then I am at your service, Lord Fawful."  
I hate my family enough already. My mother was most likely the only one who understood what was right and wrong. I am going to definitely kill my father for this. He doesn't deserve to live. Neither does Junior. Neither does the entire Royal Koopa Line.  
"Excellent!" Fawful cackles. "We shall begin training at breakfast time!"  
Pumpkin then walks over and pats me on the shoulder.  
"We're gonna be the best we've ever been, Bowsay," she encourages me. And she's right. With the help of Fawful and Mephiles, we WILL be the best we've ever been!  
"You will have such FURY!" Fawful motivates us.  
"You must remember," Mephiles says to both me and Pumpkin, "it's futile out there. The world will betray you." Mephiles makes a gesture with his arms, holding them out. "Why fight at all? Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later?"  
He's right. Why should I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsay


	14. Conflicting Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part II  
> While Bowsay and Pumpkin are with Mephiles, Sonic and friends stay at the Olympic Stadium, sheltering there until Pumpkin is found so they can return to Planet Mobius. Mario and friends returned to Toad Town in the Mushroom Kingdom and are now returning to help Sonic. Three months have passed now, and many of the heroes are in grave danger without knowing it. Both Bowsay and Pumpkin are off to harm family members and destroy what Mephiles said was the evil mind of Solaris. If this all succeeds, the world could end in darkness and flames...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 12/31/15: Nothing major, just reworded a lot and made sure my characters were all in character. Happy New Years Eve!

Hey there! My name is Miles Prowler (I'm a fox), but people call me Tails because I have two tails. Oh yeah, my sister has two tails too, but we call her Pumpkin because of her fur, and I also was able to fly with my tails first. I love machines! Oh, you seem to know a lot about me already...  
I'm really worried about my twin sister, Pumpkin. Three months ago, she was kidnapped by Dr. Eggman - oh, you already know that, too. I don't know what Eggman's doing with Pumpkin, but if we can never find Eggman (I don't think Bowser is doing anything to her, I mean, he has other things to take care of), we'll never save her! And I'll never see her again...  
I sit down on a rock. My best friend, Sonic the Hedgehog, walks up to me from my right.  
"What's up, Tails? You seem a little blue today," Sonic observes.  
"Yeah right. You're blue, Sonic," I joke.  
"Hey!" Sonic laughs. As his laughing dies down, he kneels down and says to me, "Yeah, I know, it's Pumpkin. I know it's hard to get over it. But hey, you can't let that get in your way!" Sonic wraps his arm around me in comfort.  
"You're right, Sonic," I reply. We both stand up. "I'll never forget Pumpkin, but I can't let the thought of her hold me back. Plus, Eggman or Bowser could appear any moment now!"  
Amy walks up to me and says, "I don't blame you, Tails. I miss her, too. She was my best friend. We just played around and talked about whatever we wanted to talk about. We would talk about family, friends," Amy blushes and smiles at Sonic, "crushes..." Amy acts weird when she likes Sonic. Sonic slowly steps away with a fake grin.  
"Anyway, Tails," Amy continues, "it'll be okay. Just move on, like hotso told you."  
Sonic knew that when she said "hotso", she was referring to him. He quickly dashes behind my back.  
A purple and a white figure appear in the sky. As they get closer, Silver & Blaze land on the ground. Blaze lands face-first while Silver lands perfectly on his feet.  
"I think you still need a little work on landing others with your psychokinesis, Silver," Blaze explains, standing up and brushing dirt off her face.  
"Yeah, I know, get used to it, Blaze," Silver sighs.  
"Like I ever will," Blaze mumbles, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.  
"Did you find Eggman & Bowser yet, Silver?" I ask.  
"Nope, no sign," Silver answers.  
"We looked everywhere," Blaze informs.  
"Well, we still can't give up," Sonic says.  
"That's what you say every time, Sonic," Silver replies, "but we haven't found them in the last three months!"  
"They could be planning something big, though," I say, "and whatever it is, we can't let that happen!" Especially if they're torturing Pumpkin...  
"They couldn't have spies spying on us right now, could they?" Sonic wonders.  
Suddenly, I spot a shadow quickly moving in a shaking tree.  
"What was that?" Blaze gasps quickly.  
"It could've been a Badnik," Silver suggests. "If it is, it must've heard Sonic."  
"You could be right," Sonic agrees. "I must've spoke too soon..."  
Blaze goes to check the tree. She pulls apart the branches.  
"Well, nothing found here," she concludes. "I don't know what that was, but whatever it was, it's not there anymore."  
A few moments later, Mario, an Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom, arrives with his twin brother, Luigi, and his dinosaur pal, Yoshi. Princess Peach is also there along with her friend, Princess Daisy.  
"Yo, Mario! Long time no see! What's up?" Sonic does his secret handshake with Mario.  
"Good!" Mario replies. "What about-a you?"  
"You know what I always say, 'Sonic's my name, speed's my game!'" Sonic answers.  
"Peach! Daisy!" Amy shouts as she runs to hug her friends.  
"Hello, Amy!" Peach greets. "How sievert thing going?"  
"It's okay I guess," Amy responds. "Any news on Eggman or Bowser?"  
"Nope, nuthin'," Daisy answers. "Wha' 'bout you?"  
"There was something in the tree just a few moments ago," Princess Blaze responds.  
"We think it could've been a Badnik," Silver determines, "or maybe it was just a ghost."  
"G-G-GHOST???" Luigi jumps back, sticks his hand in his mouth, and chatters his teeth. Of course he's afraid of ghosts.  
Suddenly, I see something. No I see some THINGS. Both look just like Amy and Peach... Wait, but if the real Amy and Peach are right there, then who are they? No... They don't have black eyes... They don't have an evil grin like that!  
The next moment, I notice the real Peach and Amy tied in rope, wailing for help.  
"What do you want with them?" Sonic demands.  
"Why, why, why, they must be two of your, hm... Oh yes!" Dark Peach had a snake'a expression, "your SPECIAL ONES!"  
"But here's the deal, losers," Dark Amy announces, "we shall return these two once you give us-" Dark Amy transforms into Shadow the Hedgehog, "-HIM!!!" She transforms back to her original Dark Amy form.  
I start to ask, "But what will you do with Sha-?"  
Dark Peach made a hiss almost exactly like a snake this time, "YOU SHALL KNOW ONCE WE HAVE HIM!!!!!!!"  
"You will never escape us now!" Dark Amy announces. She and Dark Peach both disappear into a huge black portal, along with the real Amy and Peach.  
"How do those two just appear out of nowhere???!!! And what do they want from Shadow?!" Silver demands, very confused. Silver isn't the only one confused. I am, too. Very.  
"They must be somthin' like clones," Daisy hypothesizes, "but who would do such a thing?"  
"Yoshi! Yoshi yoshi! (Of course! It has to be Bowser and Dr. Eggman!" Yoshi declares.  
"It would make sense if Eggman must want Shadow to join his side again," I explain, "but why would he choose to clone Amy and Peach?" I don't ever remember Eggman making clones of people...  
"They can do whatever they want," Luigi shrugs. Mario nods in agreement. Mario doesn't really talk very much, I've noticed.  
• • • • •  
Later that evening, Blaze and Silver return from their search for the Eggman and Bowser. As they land on the ground, both have surprising looks on their faces, breathing heavily.  
"What happened?" I ask, a little surprised as well.  
"We found them," declares Silver.  
Seriously? THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!  
I pass the news on to Sonic, Knuckles, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Daisy. It eventually spreads to the rest of our allies, also. Oh this is BIG! We finally have a chance to attack!  
Shadow then asks selfishly,  
"Is there any room for me, Tails?"  
I explain to Shadow all about Dark Amy and Dark Peach and how they wanted to trade the real Amy and Peach for him.  
"I don't know why they would want you, Shadow," I conclude, "but it's best that you shouldn't come. They're most likely clones of Amy and Peach created by Dr. Eggman and Bowser. Eggman probably wants you back on his side again."  
"Huh," Shadow crosses his arms and makes an angry face, "like he'll ever succeed!"  
"You'll be fine," I say, trying to calm him down.  
Later, we made a plan to invade Eggman and Bowser's hideout. Silver said that he put tracking devices on Eggman and Bowser so they wouldn't get lost and unable to find. Now that it's evening, it's time we depart. Sonic, Knuckles, and Blaze are riding the X Tornado with me, and Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Daisy are riding with Captain Toad on the Starshroom. Silver's gonna be leading the way.  
Right now I'm in the driver's seat for the X Tornado plane with all the passengers.  
"X Tornado ready for takeoff!" I shout. I look to my right over at the Starshroom. "Everything ready, Captain Toad?"  
"Ready!" Captain Toad replies.  
Silver speaks to me through my headphones, "Everything's ready! Let's take off!"  
Using his psychic abilities, Silver flies into the air. The X Tornado and the Starshroom take off. We are all safe.  
We are about halfway there. The location of the hideout is about another 60 miles away, but we are moving pretty fast.  
Suddenly, a strip of smoke appears. Then I see something red. It's shaped like a small rocket. Oh no. It's a missile. And it's from Eggman.  
Oh no! Silver couldn't react quick enough and got hit by the missile! As the missile explodes, he is almost covered in ash and starts falling. I got to catch him with the X Tornado... Got him!  
"Sonic, Knuckles," I command, "you two fight the missiles and any other obstacles. Blaze, help Silver!"  
Blaze shoots me a look. "And what will YOU do, Tails?"  
"If you haven't noticed, I NEED TO DRIVE THIS PLANE!!!!!!!" I shout. If I didn't have to drive this plane, though, I would try something to help. If I put the Tornado on Auto-Pilot right now, we would have a high risk of getting hit.  
Captain Toad speaks to me through my headphones, "Mayday! Mayday! This is Captain Toad speaking! The Starshroom is hit, I repeat, the Starshroom is hit!"  
I turn my head to see the Starshroom on fire, falling down slowly through the clouds like a sinking ship.  
"Are there any emergency exits, I repeat, are there ANY emergency exits?" I ask Captain Toad through the microphone.  
"Not that I can find. The power was out for a second," he says. He sounds scared.  
"WHO CREATED THIS SPACESHIP???!!!" I scream. Every ship needs an Emergency Exit!  
"L-Lumas did!" Captain Toad answers, chattering his teeth. Oh yeah. Lumas are those tiny fat stars - well, not exactly STARS, but becoming stars, planets, or galaxies - that are, obviously, from outer space. This lady named Rosalina is their "mother".  
"Blaze!!!!! How is Silver?????!!!!!" I shout.  
"His heart isn't pumping, nor is he breathing!" Blaze cries. No. This can't be.  
Man, that missile must've hit Silver pretty hard. He's dead now. Gone. Unless...  
"Do you think you can revive him?" I ask Blaze.  
"WHAT?????" Blaze shouts, trying to overcome the loud noise of the firing and the banging in the background.  
"I SAID, CAN YOU REVIVE HIM????????!!!!!!!!!" I scream louder, making sure Blaze can hear me.  
"Not unless if we had the Chaos Emer-"  
"WE DON'T NEED THE CHAOS EMERALDS!" I roar. "JUST TRY TO POUND ON HIS HEART VERY HARD TO GET IT STARTING AGAIN!"  
"Are you sure?" Blaze demands with her face covered in anguish, looking like she's about to cry. I think she is.  
"I'M POSITIVE, BLAZE!!!" I declare. Once I see Blaze attempt to revive Silver, I focus on firing the Tornado's own missiles at Eggman's missiles and the upcoming Badniks.  
One huge Badnik with long blue arms and legs lands right on the X Tornado. I can't see where I'm going now!  
"Sonic? Knuckles?" I call. Then I hear Knuckles.  
"Tails! Up here!" he calls. Then I realize he & Sonic are in the robot's fist. The Badnik is about to smash the X Tornado-WITH SONIC AND KNUCKLES!!!!! I close my eyes and take my final breath. Goodbye world...  
Wait... I'm still breathing. Why am I still breathing? I thought I was dead!  
Next thing I realize is that the robot hasn't smashed the Tornado. It drops Sonic and Knuckles, and they both land face-first. It then floats in midair and falls to Earth.  
Wait a minute... Face-first... Floating in mid-air... Silver?  
"Tails!"  
I look back behind me. I see that Blaze has revived Silver successfully by using the method I told her, and Silver is still officially alive. Silver still needs to recover a bit, though.  
Next thing I hear through my headphones are, "This is Captain Toad speaking! Is everything okay, Tails, I repeat, is everything okay?"  
"Yup, everything's fine," I say once again speaking through my microphone. "What about you?"  
"For some reason, the Starshroom is floating!" Captain Toad says. Is that what I think it is...?  
I look back at Silver, and then he winks. I knew it!  
"Silver is lifting the Starshroom, I repeat, Silver is lifting the Starshroom!" This is great!  
"But how?" said Captain Toad.  
"With his psychics, DUH!" I reply.  
"We're almost there! Just 10 miles to go!" I announce. This is getting exciting!  
Wait, there's something brown I see floating in mid air, and it has a hover. It's shooting... Oh no, it's shooting fireballs at us!  
As I dodge the fireballs with the Tornado, I get a closer look at the flag on the airship. We had just faced the Eggman Zone.  
Now we're in the Bowser Zone.  
I don't know how to fight all of Bowser's obstacles. Only Mario and his friends can, and they're in the damaged spaceship right now. There's no more room in the X Tornado, so where will they go? Silver will eventually get tired of holding the Starshroom...  
In a split second, a twinkle appears in the sky. I see these tiny stars with eyes... No, they're not stars! They're Lumas! And they've come to fix the Starshroom!  
A few minutes later, the Starshroom is fixed, and Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Daisy stand on top of the ship, fighting the enemies.  
As we decrease altitude, the biggest chance of finding Pumpkin draws near.  
"We're here," I announce. Pumpkin, it's time to take you back. You're my sister and I won't let you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Tails


	15. The Flood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 12/31/15: Just typos and rewording, no major changes. Happy New Years Eve!

"Already, Tails?" I say, surprised. Didn't think we'd make it so soon!  
"Yup, Sonic, we're here alright!" my best buddy Tails replies. "You might as well buckle up, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"  
Knuckles and I buckle back up in our seats, and Blaze buckles Silver.  
Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog! In my world, everything is all about speed! I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE FREEDOM!!!!!! Yup, I run at Sonic Speed, that's obviously where I get my name. I'm from Green Hill Zone on Planet Mobius!  
As you know, Dr Eggman is my enemy. I hate it when he does all these horrible things... You get my point.  
Mario is a good friend of mine. We've had fun competing in the Olympic since 2008, and we've had quite an adventure! The one we are on right now is probably the biggest adventure we've ever had together, maybe ever will have together!  
"Everybody ready????" my best buddy Tails shouts, screaming over the all the noise.  
"Ready!" Knuckles declares, throwing his fist up.  
"Ready," Blaze said. Silver nods.  
"Ready for anything!" I exclaim, winking and giving a thumbs up.  
Tails speaks into his microphone, informing Captain Toad that we are landing.  
"Okay guys! Here goes nothing!" Tails announces.  
As the X Tornado lands, the ride is (as he described) bumpy. The Starshroom doesn't land the same way, though. It can just hover over the ground to land. The passengers are lucky they don't have to go through that bumpy ride we have to go through!  
"Whew!" I exclaim while getting out of the X Tornado, "that was a close one!"  
"Totally," Knuckles replies, wiping sweat off his forehead.  
"Tails! Is everyone okay?" asks Captain Toad.  
"Yup, everyone's fine," the fox replies. "What about you guys, Captain?"  
"Same for us!" exclaims Captain Toad. "You guys might as well get going!"  
As we walk inside the hideout, we come to a three-way fork. Tails gives commands to us.  
"Mario, Yoshi, you two go left. Knuckles, you go center, and take Luigi with you. Sonic, you & I will go right. Blaze, you-"  
"I'm not going anywhere," Blaze declares. Silver has his arm wrapped around Blaze, limping. He's still recovering from the missile after being revived.  
"I'm giving my friend someone to lean on. We all need that," Blaze says, and that's a true fact!  
"I'll probably take about 27 hours or longer to fully recover," Silver informs us, "but until then, good luck!"  
"Thank you, Silver!" I reply.  
"Hey! Look what I foun'!" Daisy hollers. Everyone huddles around Daisy. A small secret door!  
"It's a secret ventilation system!" The flower princess informs. "It must be the quickest way to Bowser and Eggman!"  
"Fine, Daisy, you take the ventilation system," Tails orders. Then he tosses a walkie-talkie to each group.  
"Whoever finds Eggman and Bowser first must press the center button. Then," he continues, "we will all teleport to that location. Do I make myself clear?"  
Everyone agrees.  
As Tails and I race down the halls, we run into many robots along the way. We also run into Koopatroopas, paratroopas, goombas, and paragoombas. There were also Bullet Bills. Lots of Bowser's minions, but there were still plenty of Badniks.  
Later, I feel, what's the word, tingly? I feel a little tingly inside. Suddenly, Tails and I are shining in yellowish-white lights.  
"Someone found Bowser and Eggman!" Tails explains. "They pressed the center button!"  
Next thing I notice, Mario and Yoshi have reached Bowser and Eggman first. Knuckles and Luigi arrive, then Daisy.  
"Aaaah, what a surprise!" Dr Eggman snickers.  
"So yeh think yeh're party crashers, don' ya?" Bowser growls.  
Hold up a second... Where are Amy and Peach? Didn't they capture them?  
Tails steps up to Eggman and Bowser confidently and furiously.  
"Where are Amy and Peach?" he demands.  
"Amy? And Peach?" Dr Eggman is confused, looks at Bowser, then giggles. "Why, we've never laid a finger on them in months!" he says.  
"What were the clones for then, huh?" Tails slowly saunters towards Dr Eggman and shoots him a dirty look. "You used Amy and Peach CLONES to communicate your message about trading the REAL ones for SHADOW!" he says.  
"Clones?" Eggman questions, "Of Amy Rose and Princess Peach? No, we've never done that! R-r-right Bowser?" Bowser grunts, crosses his arms, and nods. Eggman laughs, making a gesture to keep Tails from getting near him. "Besides, I want nothing from Shadow anyways!" Wow. What was the point of the clones, then?  
"Fine, then. Tell me the truth about THIS-!" Tails jumps and pins Dr Eggman to the ground, "-WHERE'S MY SISTER???!!!"  
I've never seen Tails so angry before... He's just so angry that Eggman took Pumpkin away from him.  
Eggman pauses for a moment. Then he gulps and says quietly, "She's not here."  
"I don't believe you," Tails hisses. "Tell me the TRUTH!!!!!!"  
"Why, I just did!" Eggman says.  
"He's right, yeh know," Bowser interrupts. "Me youngest daughter's wit' her!" Bowser presses a button on a remote and turns on a video of Pumpkin and what must be Bowser's youngest daughter running away with her. Wow, I guess she really isn't here, but what does Bowser's daughter have to do with any of it?  
Suddenly, the window breaks. Dark Amy and Dark Peach both fly in.  
"Tails is talking about US!" Dark Amy announces with an evil grin on her face.  
"We will destroy this place now!" Dark Peach announces with her same evil, snake-like smile.  
"Not today!" a voice says. Oh yeah, I know that voice - it's Shadow. Wait - Shadow? SHADOW!!!!!!!  
"Shadow! What's going on? What are you doing here?" I demand. This could be the clones' chances to take him for whatever they want him for!  
"I'm saving you guys' lives, Sonic! Now evacuate before all of your brains explode!" Shadow growls.  
As the nine of us leave, Dr Eggman stays put along with Bowser. Shadow is still fighting Dark Amy and Dark Peach. We depart in our airships.  
Halfway back to the Olympic arena, (our 'headquarters') I ask Silver if he's okay.  
"I'm still limping," he says, "and I can only hold objects for a limited time depending on their weight. The lighter the object, the longer I can hold it. I still have about 26 hours left."  
Later, when we arrive at the arena, Shadow appears to us.  
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SHADOW???" Tails complains. "You could've killed yourself!"  
"I KNEW what I was doing," Shadow grunts. "I KNOW that Dark Amy and Dark Peach wanted me for some reason, but ALL OF YOU would've killed yourselves if I wasn't there to save you all!"  
"Shadow's right," I say in support, placing my paw on Tails' shoulder. I smile. "Thank you."  
"Hmph, fine," Shadow retorts.  
"So," Knuckles the Echidna asks, "if Dark Amy and Dark Peach WEREN'T clones made by Eggman and Bowser, then who are they?"  
"Maybe they're g-g-GHOSTS!!!!!!" Luigi hypothesized, sticking his fingers in his mouth and chattering his teeth again.  
"Yoshi, yoshi yoshi! Yoshi yoshi! (Now Luigi, we're at an Olympic Stadium! There's no such thing as ghosts around here!)" Yoshi declares. I hope Yoshi's right, because I don't wanna take on a pack of ghosts. If I have to, they better not be Boos...  
"Um, Yoshi," Daisy says, looking scared, "I think you spoke too soon!"  
Everybody looks where Daisy is looking. Crud. A Boo.  
"Hehehehehe! Who says weeeeeeeeee don't exiiiiiiiist here?" the Boo states. Then, a chorus of Boos appear, saying,  
"Weeeeeee exiiiiiist ANYWHEEEEEEEEEERE!!!!!!!"  
Suddenly, the power goes out. Then I hear Mario call,  
"Over here!" Mario tosses everyone a flashlight.  
"Boos hate light!" he informs us. Man, Mario may not talk very much, but he can be really smart!  
A Boos approaches from behind me. I turn around and shine my flashlight, and then the Boo poofs and turns into a coin.  
"Hey Mario!" I call, "Do you think any one of these Boos could be holding something important? This one has a coin!"  
Mario shrugs and continues fighting the ghosts.  
Suddenly, I spot Luigi shivering in a corner. His head is down and his back is turned toward the action. I walk up to him.  
"Hey, Luigi," I ask, trying to cheer him up, "what's up?"  
Luigi, still shivering, looks up to see who it is.  
"Ghost!" he cries and puts his head back down.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's just me, Sonic!" I inform him.  
Luigi glances up at me again, then sighs.  
"What do you want?" he demands.  
"What's the matter?" I answer with a question.  
"I'm afraid of g-g-GHOSTS!!!!!!!" Luigi puts his head back down.  
I look away and sigh. "Yeah, I know, they can be scary." I look back and place my paw on Luigi's back. "Sometimes, though, you just gotta get over your fears. Like me, for example, I'm still afraid of water."  
"W-w-water isn't as dangerous as those THINGS, Sonic!" Luigi states, referring to ghosts.  
"Actually, it can be," I inform. "I can't swim, so I could drown any second I'm in there."  
Suddenly, alarms are going crazy. The next thing I notice, a huge ghost with a crown appears right behind me and announces,  
"Aaaaaah, Sonic the Hedgehog! How good it is to seeeeeee you! Hehehehehe!"  
I look behind me and gulp. That's King Boo. "No," I mumble, "you didn't just...?"  
"Hehehe, yes, I heard you! I know, yes, how rude it is to eavesdrop..." Oh no. King Boo heard me admit my fear of water. He's gonna flood this place.  
"Sooooooooo..." King Boo laughs, then raises his arm and says, "you can't swim right? Well, this surpriiiiiiiiise I have for yooooooou is to diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie for!"  
The alarms are still ringing as King Boo disappears. I yank Luigi by the arm and run off with him. I find myself stepping in shallow water. As I pass by all the action, I shout,  
"Everybody, grab a partner and swim away!" Everyone obeys; Mario's with Knuckles, Yoshi's with Tails, Blaze's with Silver, and Daisy's with Shadow. Obviously, I'm with Luigi.  
Luigi and I run hall after hall after hall. It's still dark in here, so I don't know my way out of the Olympic Stadium.  
The water levels now are too high. I fall to my knees in the deep water. Luigi keeps swimming, but he won't be able to take another breath much longer than that. I close my eyes, slowly fall on my back, and swallow the bland, salty water.  
Next thing I realize is that I'm outside in a rain forest, and someone is punching my stomach, causing me to throw up water. I look up and see something blue... As I see clearer, she looks familiar...  
"Blaze?" I mumble, "Is that you?"  
The blue "Blaze" puts her index finger on my mouth and whispers, "Shhhhhh..."  
Then, she runs off and steps through a dark portal.  
Suddenly, the real purple Blaze struts towards me, guiding the limping Silver. She sets Silver down and kneels towards me.  
"Sonic? Sonic, are you okay?" she asks, reaching her paw for me to help me up.  
I'm so confused! When was there a blue cat that looked just like Blaze?  
"Blaze? But you were just... Just...?" I want to tell her, but I think the blue Blaze wanted me to keep her identity a secret.  
"Never mind," I shake my head as Blaze helps me up.  
"Is everything okay?" I hear Knuckles scream, and his voice echoes.  
"Over here!" Blaze calls back as her voice echoes as well.  
"We found Sonic!" Silver shouts. "He's okay!"  
"That's great! We're coming!" Knuckles calls back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Sonic


	16. More Twins...?

Why, hello there! My name is Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom. I LOOOOVE Mario, he's soooo hot, even with his moustache... Mainly, I REALLY like him because he rescues me every time I'm captured. Bowser has been capturing me for years, so I'm kind of used to it now. In fact, sometimes I feel like I've spent more time in Bowser's Castle than my own!  
Yes, once again, I AM captured. This time, obviously, it's not Bowser doing this action. It's actually this black hedgehog that looks almost EXACTLY like Shadow the Hedgehog (he has no mouth, however), but he can also multiply himself, hijack people (well, he hijacked Bowsay and Pumpkin), and can even travel through time! He's very evil, though, and he says that Pumpkin has these Flames of Disaster known as "Iblis" in her soul. Mephiles's plan at the end was to join Pumpkin's souls with him to reform the Sun God known as Solaris. He also wants them to kill Shadow for some reason, but I really don't know why...  
But then there's also Fawful, who's goal is to resurrect his former Master, Cackletta, with the Beanstar using my voice. He's also using Bowsay, Bowser's Secret Child, as bait since she has the Dark Star inside of her. But I'm 100% sure that the Dark Star was completely eliminated! How can it still be alive? ...MARIO!!!!!!!  
Amy & I are trapped in these black but transparent bubbles. When I'm in this bubble, Amy, Fawful, and Mephiles are the only ones that can hear me. Mephiles did create these black bubbles. I can hear everyone else's conversations, however.  
Oh, when you weren't there, Mephiles somehow also hijacked Mist, Blaze's triplet sister with water powers.  
Now he's still searching for Holly, the triplet with plant powers.  
Fawful is also searching for Kamekla, Kamek's shy, shaky twin sister.  
Bowsay and Pumpkin step out of Dark Portals.  
"We obeyed your commands Mephiles and Fawful," Pumpkin says.  
"Everything is going perfectly well," Bowsay affirms.  
"Perfect," Mephiles grunted.  
"This shall be a master recipe!" Fawful declares.  
Oh my, Fawful sure loves to talk about food...  
Then, another dark portal appears. Mist steps out.  
"I rescued Sonic from the flood in the stadium," she says.  
"Wonderful," Mephiles mumbles. (If he had a mouth, he would probably have an evil grin on his face.)  
"I must be the one to kill Sonic!" he shouts, throwing his fist up in the air.  
"When will we find my sister HOLLY???" Mist hisses.  
"When the time comes. You are lucky enough, Mist, that I saved you from the past," Mephiles declared.  
"What happened to Blaze's other sisters again, Amy?" I ask.  
Amy looks down.  
"This was before Blaze and Silver traveled back to our original time." She looks to her left at me and makes eye contact with me.  
"Blaze and her sisters were trying to run away from Iblis," she started, "then the three came to a dead end at the edge of a building. Blaze and Holly were safe, but Mist, the middle triplet, fell into the lava. I'm guessing that right before she hit the lava, Mephiles created a portal for her to fall through, while Blaze and Holly thought she was dead.  
"Then, a huge monster surrounded the two. That's when Silver saved them. But it was too late, because the youngest twin, Holly, was already swallowed by the monster.  
"Now, up to this day, Blaze is the only one of the three left."  
"How will Mephiles save Holly, then?" I ask.  
"Well," says Amy, "he'll probably place a portal in the monster's mouth."  
"Why would he be doing this, though?" I question.  
Amy sighs. "Mephiles probably wants to encourage Blaze to join him again, which would also cause Silver to join him again. Good to have old friends..."  
"That can't happen," I declare. I don't know about the Dark Star, but what if this could cause Pumpkin to release the Flames of Horror or Pain or whatever they're called?...Maybe the power if the Dark Star would make these Flames even worse! Bowsay and Pumpkin's powers could possibly combine! That could be why Mephiles and Fawful have them on their side!  
"Now, Mist, the moment you've been waiting for," Mephiles says.  
A portal appears directly above Mist. Mist steps back, and out falls a green cat with a green jacket and high heels.  
"Holly! You're alive!"  
"You are too, Mist!"  
The two hug each other and jump around. Finally Holly asks,  
"Will Blaze be okay?"  
"Oh, Holly," Mist answers, "she'll be FINE! We still have hope of finding her, and-"  
Mephiles shoots Mist an evil look, and Mist's eyes turn blacker.  
"We must kill her," Mist informs, making a fist and holding it near her heart. "She did nothing to protect us when she could've. She would always be bossy because she's the oldest of us."  
Suddenly, Holly's eyes turn black.  
"You're right," she mumbled. "What a horrible sister."  
• • • • •  
The next day, another Dark Portal appears. Out of nowhere appears a Magikoopa dressed in purple.  
"Aaaaaaaaah, so your name is KameKLA, eh?" Fawful snorts, Kamekla still belly-down in the dirt.  
"Well, Fawful could cook you up and make you into a cheeseburger and-"  
"FAWFUL!!!!!!!!!" Mephiles interrupts darkly, "HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND?????!!!!!"  
My word, someone is mad...  
Kamekla stands up, holds out a wand and points it at Fawful, not hearing Mephiles. Shaking, she recites,  
"M-m-my orders c-c-come from B-B-Bowser!"  
"Really, how could someone like YOU work for Bowser, eh?" Fawful sneers. "You're just rotten fruit compared to your pathetic older brother, Kamek-"  
"Listen up, Fawful," Kamekla rejects, pronouncing with more confidence yet still shaking, "I don't care what you say about my twin brother, or about me, but I will always TRULY be one of Bowser's minions-"  
"Whoooooaaa, whoa, whoa, lots of twins here these days!" Fawful states. "That means more seasoning on my-"  
"ENOUGH WITH THE FOOD TALK, FAWFUL!!!!!!" Mephiles commands, completely irritated.  
"Who would YOU be?" Kamekla demands, still shaking yet pointing her wand at Mephiles.  
"I? I am Mephiles the Dark. I help others and bring peace to their world," Mephiles states.  
"Yeah right," Amy recites out loud, but she quickly puts her paw over her mouth. Shouldn't've done that.  
"QUIET, AMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mephiles roars, making my bubble quake again, leaving me with an even worse headache. This sucks. If only I had my parasol, that would actually calm me down, because I need something to hit with it...  
Maybe Mephiles does save lives, but he doesn't do any good to the people whom he's saved. He probably saved Kamekla from whatever made her die, IF she died. I don't know how Fawful could have done that.  
"Kamekla," Mephiles says in a deep, hypnotizing voice, "you cannot love your brother. You must prove that you are better than him, not only that he is more brave, but you can be more brave than you are right now..."  
Once again, Kamekla's eyes turn black. Hijacked!  
"I want to kill him!" she declares, pointing her wand to the air.  
"That's it," Mephiles acknowledges.  
"You shall easily defeat Mario and Luigi and Bowser," Fawful says.  
Great, another twin hijacked by Mephiles - there are so many twins in this adventure! There has never been any in any other! And so many girls...  
So far, Fawful and Mephiles have been the worst villains that have ever kidnapped me. I might be tired of it, but this time I wish I were captured by Bowser instead....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Peach


	17. The Greedy People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 1/1/16: Reworded a few things and made Mario talk a little less (because that's his character). Happy 2016 everyone!

Hello! It's-a me, Mario! I am a plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom, but I spend most of my time fighting the evil King Bowser along with my brother, Luigi. Then, I rescue Princess Peach. Yoshi is my best buddy. I love riding on his back!  
I don't talk very much. I don't know why, but it's just a part of my personality.  
I'm with Knuckles, Tails, Yoshi, Daisy, Shadow, and Luigi. Blaze and Silver went looking for Sonic, and they found him lying on the soil in the middle of a rainforest.  
"I think I was hallucinating or something," Sonic informs us. "But that doesn't matter now. I'm okay."  
"I'm glad you are," Tails affirms.  
"Hey Sonic," Daisy informs, "while you were with Luigi, we aimed our flashli's at a Boo, and then it had this key in'sie' of it." Daisy holds out at medium-sized jeweled key. "I dunno what it's fo', but we betta keep i' just in case."  
"Wahooooooo! (It could be helpful later in the adventure!)" exclaims Yoshi, dancing around all merry.  
"YOSHI!!! This ain't playtime! This is SERIOUS business!" Daisy shouts angrily. I agree, Yoshi kind of needs to get serious...  
Suddenly, I hear someone familiar call, "SHADOW!!!"  
Shadow turns his head. "Rouge?"  
Shadow takes a few steps, and then, cupping his paws around his mouth, hollers, "ROUGE!!!"  
"I HEAR YOU, SHADOW!!! I'M COMING!!!" Rouge shouts as her voice get closer.  
Suddenly, I hear two other voices that sound even MORE familiar. And they both sound very mischievous...  
"Wario! Waluigi! Keep up you bozos!" Rouge snaps at them.  
As she lands in front of Shadow, Rouge explains, "I heard you guys finally found the Doctor and Bowser. How did things go?"  
"They went okay," Shadow answers. "These clones of Amy and Peach captured the real ones. For some reason, the clones want to destroy me and won't give Amy and Peach back until they do."  
"Rouge! Have you found any treasure yet?!" Wario demands.  
"Oh, Wario," Rouge says, patting her paw on Wario's head, "you & Waluigi better behave yourselves!"  
"Wah! What did I do???!!!" Waluigi shouts, stomping his feet and having steam shooting out of his ears.  
Waluigi was so tall that Rouge had to fly up to his face to pat him on the head.  
"Oh my, why you must be Mr. Grumpypants! You would only do what your little pal WARIO would do, huh?" Rouge says, sorta talking like Waluigi's her pet.  
Rouge turns back to Shadow and informs to him, "Oh, Wario, Waluigi, and I have been on a little TREASURE HUNT these past few days, hehehe..." She grins and looks away.  
"Now Rouge," Shadow explains, "I know you love gems very much, but now we must focus on this problem between us and the Doctor & Bowser."  
"What-a do we do next?" Luigi asks, shrugging.  
"I think we should find Pump-" Tails pauses, afraid of the sorrowful feeling of saying his sister's name. He sits down and puts his head down, his hands covering his face. Sure enough, he starts crying again.  
Yoshi pats Tails on the back. Then he suggests, "Yoshi yoshi yoshi! (We should return to Bowser and Dr. Eggman's base!)"  
"Good idea!" Luigi agrees.  
"Wait-a! No we can't-a! Not-a yet-a!" I shout. Mama Mia, now everyone's staring at me...  
"Whassamatta with you, Mario?" Daisy demands, putting her hand on her hip.  
"What about-a Dark-a Peach and-a Dark-a Amy?" I ask. "And the real Peach and-a Amy?"  
Everyone looks at each other.  
"What 'bout me gold?" Wario demands.  
"Hey!" Waluigi sneers, then stomps, "Whattabout ME gold?????"  
"This isn't all about-a gold," Luigi states, looking down at Wario and then up at Waluigi. "People don't-a need-a to have all the gold in the world-a, or be strong, or tall," he looks at me and smiles, "to be a hero."  
My brother gives me a hug. I hug him back. I love you Luigi!  
Sonic smiles and says, "Nice motivation there, Luigi. We all needed to hear that. Well, let's get moving!"  
Suddenly, before any of us can take a single step, a dark comet appears. Next thing I notice, we are all surrounded by blue fire.  
Then, Dark Amy appears.  
"You don't need to go anywhere now!" she announces with an angry expression on her face and her hand on her hip. Then she sashays towards Tails. Ugh, I just HATE it how she sashays!  
"Ah, yes! Tails!" Dark Amy mutters something under her breath, but I can't understand her...  
She turns and looks at Shadow.  
"Don't worry, Shadow, I'm still after you," she admits.  
Dark Amy transforms into a dark purple comet and encircles Tails at top speed. Then, she flies back into the sky, and Tails isn't there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario


	18. More Enemies!

Amy's POV  
Hi... Sorry, I'm not in an excited mood right now, and I haven't been for the past few days... My name is Amy Rose, and I am here with my friend, Princess Peach. My best friend, Pumpkin Prower the Fox, has been hijacked by Mephiles the Dark. Somehow, Mephiles can't hijack Bowsay, Bowser's youngest daughter, and neither can Fawful... But Mephiles also hijacked Blaze's two triplet sisters, Mist and Holly. Oh, you know so much already...  
About me, I like using my pink Piko Piko hammer (though Shadow - I mean, Mephiles - they look so alike! - took it away and hid it somewhere). I'm a really tough cookie, and Sonic the Hedgehog is my true love!  
Recently, this tiny creature named Fawful tried to steal the power of this Dark Star contained in Bowsay using his Vacuum Helmet, but she was too strong to have it taken out. Ever since then, Mephiles has continued training Pumpkin on how to control Iblis, and Fawful has also been training Bowsay on how to control the Dark Star. Mist and Holly are trained a little bit too, but they are basically the assistants instead of apprentices. They don't have evil power inside of them.  
Whoa... What is that black speck flying towards here? It looks like a bat... but it doesn't look like an ordinary bat!  
The bat then starts talking, "Ah! Creatures! Thank goodness you two are here, I had novhere to go-"  
"Go away!" Mephiles roars, sending the bat a mini energy spear. However, it doesn't affect the bat. This is definitely no ordinary bat...  
"Impossible!" Mephiles says in shock. "No one survives my energy spear! Not even Sonic the Hedgehog could survive it!"  
Oh my gosh, I remember... Mephiles killed Sonic one time-well, he ALMOST killed Sonic, but the seven Chaos Emeralds brought him back. (That's right, no one messes with my Sonic!)  
"Who are you two?" The bat asks.  
"I am Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark."  
"And I am Lord Fawful! I have such fury!"  
"And who might you be?" Mephiles asks.  
"I am-Wait a minute!" The bat flies over to Peach's bubble. No, not another villain wanting to kidnap her!  
"SCREEK! I remember you!" the bat realizes. That's it!  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!!!!" I scream, even though I can't really do anything to help her from my bubble.  
"QUIET AMY!" Fawful screeches.  
Peach's POV  
No... Oh no... I remember this bat...  
Fawful then demands from the bat, "Where have you known Princess Peach?!"  
"I have kidnapped her before!" The bat claims, "but Bowser's povers vere stronger, so I took over him instead."  
"BOWSER?! You know Bowser?!" Fawful says in shock. "Fawful doesn't like Bowser! Bowser defeated Fawful's plans! Bowser ruined EVERYTHING for Fawful!" Fawful then pauses for a second. Then he continues, "Well, Bowser and those two red and green staches..."  
"Mario and Luigi?!" exclaims the bat.  
"YES!!!!!" screms Fawful. "Fawful always works so hard for everything! But no matter how hard he works, those two staches ALWAYS get in the way of EVERYTHING!"  
Because no one messes with Mario and Luigi! I add silently.  
"Pardon the interruption," Mephiles intervenes, "but we never got your name."  
"Oh yes," the bat remembers, "my name is Antasma." Antasma! I knew it!  
"I vas such a living nightmare until those two red and green fools got in my vay... Ever since then, I have had novhere to go... But now, I found you two, Fawful and Mephiles!"  
"Um... Did we say we were gonna do anything for you?" Fawful demands.  
"Vell, I assumed so...?" says Antasma. "Vat are you two trying to do?"  
"We're training our apprentices to undo a prophecy," Mephiles answers.  
"Ooo! A prophecy?" Antasma shivers in excitement.  
"Yes," Mephiles replies, "Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness. Our apprentices are going to destroy us, and so we must train them not to."  
"So who are these apprentices of yours?" Antasma wonders.  
"My apprentice is Pumpkin Prower the Fox," Mephiles answers.  
"Never heard of her," says Antasma. "Other dude, who is your apprentice?"  
"Fawful is my name," Fawful replies, "and my apprentice is Bowsay, one of the daughters of Bowser."  
"Vhoa vhoa vhoa, Bowser has children?" Antasma gives an evil grin  
"Yes, Bowser has children..." Fawful exasperates. "And his youngest daughter, Bowsay, is special. She has the powers of the Dark Star in her. That makes her more powerful than her father."  
"Oh really? I would like to see this Bowsay," Antasma requests.  
"Then you shall," Fawful promises.  
"Everything's going quite fine," says Fawful. "Once Fawful trains Bowsay up to a certain point, he can swallow the Dark Star from her! And all Fawful needs is Princess Peach..."  
Mephiles interrupts, "And Princess Peach is right here."  
Mephiles gestures towards me, and my mouth is agape. Don't get near me, Mephiles!  
"Peach! Peach-!" Amy shouts.  
"Quiet, Amy!" Mephiles roars, stomping so hard that our dark purple bubbles vibrates heavily like an earthquake. I have a headache now....  
As long as I'm in this bubble, Fawful, Mephiles and Amy are the only ones that can hear me. Amy and I can hear everyone else, though. I wonder if Antasma can hear me...  
Fawful smirks, putting his hands together in a fist, "This shall be a huge moment!"  
"Vhat shall be a huge moment?" demands Antasma.  
"You see, the Beanstar is a star that can grant any wish. One day, without anyone asking, it recited that 'Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness' prophecy. I was confused. I thougt it was just a joke. I thought it was just an extra ingredient to my cookies.  
"But then, it repeated the prophecy. Fawful even traveled a thousand years back to the past. The Beanstar was talking about me, containing the Dark Star's power in the future and being defeated. I wanted to ressurect my master, Cackletta, from the dead, but I didn't know how. Though Fawful knows now.  
"Only a sweet voice can allow the Beanstar to grant a wish. And ever since then, Fawful's been hunting for that Princess Peach because she is the only one Fawful knows with a voice pure enough to awaken the Beanstar. Once Fawful takes in the Dark Star from Bowsay, that's also when Princess Peach shall resurrect Cackletta! And Fawful and Cackletta will have such fury!"  
Never Fawful, NEVER!  
"Not bad, Fawful," replies Antasma, "but you see, there's still Mario and Luigi in the vay of things, and Bowser as vell."  
"That's why I'm training Bowsay to get strong, so she can easily take them down before Fawful's Master Plan! After that, Mario and Luigi will be chomped on, crumb by crumb!"  
"Well, Fawful, I think I have heard enough," says Antasma. Then he turns towards Mephiles and demands, "Now, Mephiles, vhat are you doing vith this little fox of yours?"  
Amy's POV  
This Antasma thingy is really scaring me...  
"She is doing excellent, improving rapidly every second."  
"Hey, Mephiles! Don't forget Bowsay's improving rapidly as well!" Fawful interrupts.  
Ignoring Fawful, Mephiles continues, "The 'cunning darkness' part of the prophecy is referred to me. I, Mephiles the Dark, am the dark, cunning, evil mind, will, and soul of the Sun God Solaris. I know the prophecy must never be fulfilled, so I lied to the Two that Shadow the Hedgehog, whom I absorbed my hedgehog form from, was the evil part of Solaris.  
"The raw, pure power is the Flames of Disaster known as Iblis, which is the power inside the fox.  
"Once Pumpkin is ready," Mephiles concludes, "Iblis's seal shall be broken,(he would have an evil grin on his face right now if he had a mouth) and it shall join with me once again," he looks up and raises his arms in the air, "forming the great and powerful Solaris!  
"However," the dark hedgehog puts his paw on his chin, "there has to be a way to make Pumpkin cry..."  
No Mephiles! You can't do this! I won't let you!  
Peach's POV  
Oh my, now that Fawful and Mephiles are telling Antasma all this, what is Antasma going to do? Honestly, two villains are enough! I don't need to deal with a third one!  
"I don't really know any other way to take the Dark Star out of Bowsay, either," Fawful replies, mimicking Mephiles. "Oh, if only Fawful knew the recipe!"  
"I vas kind of lost on both of your stories," Antasma says, "But I think I might know a vay to achieve vhat you vish to achieve!"  
"Impossible!" Mephiles exclaims, "How can that be?"  
"The vay to do it is an eclipse," the evil bat starts, "there vill be a time vhere a huge, dark shadow vill be cast. It vill only happen in certain parts of the vorld, but if - just if - you two steal Bowsay and Pumpkin's pover in those areas, then the shadow shall cast over the vorld!"  
"So, if Fawful and Bowsay are within the darkness of this shadow, Fawful will be able to suck her powers with his Vacuum Helmet?" Fawful demands.  
"Yes, Fawful. You vill be able to steal her powers."  
"And I won't have to make Pumpkin cry to steal her powers?" demands Mephiles.  
"That is correct, Mephiles, you vill not need to make Pumpkin cry."  
"How do you know all this, Antasma?" Fawful demands.  
"I have known many legends and nightmares, and I know that the nightmare of the eclipse is true," Antasma answers.  
"Nightmares?" wonders Mephiles. "You said you were once a living nightmare, did you not?"  
"Yes," Antasma explains. "I vas vonce a great Bat King. I vas a living nightmare. And I vas going to take over the Pi'illo Kingdom, but the Pi'illo people, along vith Prince Dreambert, imprisoned me in the Dream Vorld."  
"PILLOWS imprisoned you in a Dream World?!" Fawful exclaims, surprised.  
"No, Fawful, not 'pillow,' 'Pi'illo.' P-I-apostrophe-I-L-L-O," Antasma corrects.  
Aw, I miss the Pi'illo people, they were so nice, especially Prince Dreambert...  
"Aaah, I see," says Fawful. "Go on, bat thing."  
Antasma pauses, then continues, "However, right before I vas completely sealed, I shattered the Dark Stone of the Pi'illo Kingdom, and the shards of the stone turned all the Pi'illo people into stone! So at least, or at least I thought, the Pi'illo people could not stop me vonce I escaped into the Real Vorld!  
"Then, an opening to the Real Vorld opened up, and so I kidnapped Princess Peach and brought her to Dream's Deep, hoping to steal her pover. But then, I saw Bowser, and... Bowser vas much stronger... and evil! SCREEEEEEONK!!!!  
"So sorry, I got a little excited..." Antasma apologizes.  
"Your apology is accepted," Mephiles growls, though I could tell he didn't seem very forgiving. "Continue."  
"Anyvays," the bat continues, "Bowser and I vorked as partners for quite some time. Oh, vee got stuff done! Vee vere poverful! But then... Bowser said he vas using me the entire time, and so he betrayed me." Antasma shakes his head and continues, "But I vas still very poverful vithout him! I vas so close to turning the vorld into a nightmare!  
"But then, I had to be defeated by those two..."  
"Mario and Luigi?" Fawful checks.  
"Yes..." Antasma sneers. "They ruined everything for me. They freed all the Pi'illo people. They ruined me. And now, because of them, I have been a useless bat... I have had no vork to do... Until I found you two."  
"What do you mean, until you found US?!" Fawful rages. "You don't just come and mess with our rage recipes!"  
"And I believe Fawful is enough to work with for me," explains Mephiles. "I do not normally work with others, but I agreed to work with Fawful and Fawful only."  
"Fine... Be that vay..." Antasma mourns. "I could have been great use to your team..."  
As Antasma starts to fly away, Fawful then calls out, "Hey! You can stay!"  
"Really?!" Antasma gasps. "Oh thank you, thank you! SCREEEEEOP!!!!!" The bat flies around in circles.  
Great, just what I was thinking... Another villain to deal with...  
Mephiles grabs Fawful by the neck of his cape.  
"What are you THINKING, Fawful?! He said he was just a useless bat! What is HE gonna do for us?!"  
"He..." Fawful shakes, "He reminds Fawful of his old master..." Mephiles then puts Fawful down, and I hear Fawful mumble, "And Cackletta shall return soon!"  
Two Dark Portals appear, and Bowsay and Pumpkin come out. Oh no, what are they gonna think of Antasma?  
"Antasma, meet my apprentice, Pumpkin," Mephiles introduces.  
"And meet my apprentice, Bowsay, the youngest daughter of Bowser," Fawful informs.  
"Antasma?" Bowsay questions. "Daddy told me all about you! He betrayed you, did he not?"  
"Indeed he did," Antasma answers.  
"I never really did like my father. I betrayed him. He's..." Bowsay pauses, then shakes her head and answers, "He's just not the father I wish for."  
"You are very strong, child," Antasma observes.  
"She's stronger than her father," Mephiles states.  
"She contains the powers of the Dark Star," informs Fawful.  
"I see..." Antasma then announces to Bowsay, "Vell, fear not, child, for I, Antasma, the Bat King, the living nightmare, shall give you povers that vill make you even more poverful! And vith this pover, vee shall defeat your father!"  
"'Vee'?!" Bowsay fights back. "Who's 'vee'?! I'm killing my father all by myself, with no help from anyone else!"  
"Are you sure, little one?" The bat tries to convince her. "You might not be able to do it vithout me!"  
"What can you even do, anyways?!" Bowsay questions. "You're just a tiny bat, there is no way you can be that powerful!"  
"Ah, allow me to show you." Antasma flies into Bowsay's body. No, what is he going to do to her?!  
"No! STOP!" Bowsay tries to fight back, but it's too late. Her eyes turn pitch-black. She's possessed by Antasma.  
"It's about time there was a way to possess this little monster..." I hear Fawful mutter under his breath.  
"I never thought I'd ever say this in my life," I tell Amy, "but I feel very sorry for Bowser..." I really do not like Bowser at all - I mean, COME ON, he kidnaps me 24-7 - but if Mario and I ever have a child, I do not wish for him or her to betray us like that...  
"Same," Amy replies. "I only wish there was a way to let Mario and Sonic know about all of this..."  
"Wow... I feel... I feel..." Bowsay feels Antasma's power. "I feel even more powerful than ever!" She then breathes a huge flame in the air, which is blue and purple.  
"With the powers of the Dark Star AND Antasma, there is no way I will not be able to kill my father!"  
"Very good, child! Very good!" Fawful congratulates.  
Amy's POV  
Oh great, now this Antasma thing has made Bowsay more powerful... I really hope nothing adds to Pumpkin as well...  
Oops, I think I hoped too soon...  
"Fawful, what is that watery blue substance over there?" Mephiles points out.  
"How should I know?!" Fawful snaps. "Fawful has never seen it before!"  
"But I've heard of it," claims Pumpkin. "Tails told me all about it."  
Antasma then comes out of Bowsay's body and states, "Yes, um, one thing I forgot to mention... This vatery creature has been folloving me everyvhere, and I do not know vhy..."  
"This... this is Chaos," says Pumpkin.  
"Pumpkin! NO!!!!!!" I scream.  
"WILL YOU SHUT UP AMY?!?!?!" Fawful screams. Yeesh, someone's mad...  
"Chaos?" Mephiles questions. "What do you know about this Chaos, Pumpkin?"  
"Chaos is an immortal, god-like creature that is supposed to be made from the energy of the Chaos Emeralds," Pumpkin explains. "The more Chaos Emeralds it has, the more powerful it becomes. And when it has all seven Chaos Emeralds, it absorbs the negative energy of the Emeralds and transforms into Perfect Chaos."  
"Ooo! Can it talk?" Fawful asks.  
"No...?" Pumpkin answers questionably.  
"Good," says Mephiles, "because I'm already annoyed enough with Fawful's food talk and Antasma's accent."  
"MEPHILES!!!!!!!!" Fawful screams. "I WILL BOIL YOU INTO A NICE SOLARIS SOUP IF YOU WISH!!!!!!!"  
"AND I VILL VERY VELL INVADE YOUR VERY VORST NIGHTMARES!!!!!!! SCREEEEEK!!!!!!" Antasma screeches.  
"ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!" Mephiles roars, sending a wave of power to Fawful and Antasma.  
"Come to me, Chaos," Pumpkin commands, and the watery substance flows into the fox. Pumpkin then gives a spin, and her flames and Chaos's power emerge together.  
"Ah yes, the power in me has become stronger!" Pumpkin claims. "Now, we must collect all seven Chaos Emeralds, and then I will serve Tails right for sure!"  
No, Pumpkin, you can't do this! ANOTHER villain we have to worry about now! Why Chaos?! UGH!  
"Well, we best get back to training the girls!" Fawful informs.  
"Ooo, training! I cannot vait! It feels so good to use my povers again!!" says Antasma, flying around like crazy.  
Then, Mephiles walks up to me and Peach.  
"Don't worry, special ones," Mephiles whispers quietly yet evilly, "as long as you spend time in your bubbles, every little secret you hear shall be kept!  
"There is a way to get you out," Mephiles finishes, "but there's no way to break the curse!" Then he laughs out loud, "MWAHAHAHAHAHA! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Mephiles runs in Fawful's direction.  
"Uh, I hate him so much!" I shout, pouting. "That little Fawful guy just makes things worse! And now we have Chaos and Antasma to worry about!"  
"Yes, yes, I hate them too, Amy," Peach says with a sad face, "but at least not every bad guy from your world is after you." She sighs. "Every bad guy from my world is after me. Fawful has a good reason for wanting me and the Beanstar, and Antasma... I don't know, but Bowser... Why, he just wants me so he can have fun watching Mario die! Then, he can take over the Mushroom Kingdom!"  
Peach pouts. "Bowser is just so mean!"  
Then, she returns to a sad look and says, "yet again, Fawful and Mephiles have captured me - I mean, us - and we are under a curse to keep every secret as long as we stay in these things... That means we can't give away Antasma and that Chaos thing either!"  
"Mephiles and Fawful keep mentioning something about a prophecy about evil being destroyed and that it cannot be changed... 'Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness'... They think Bowsay and Pumpkin are the Two. Do you think so?" I question.  
"Well, whoever they are," replies Peach, "they must be good, having all the evil destroyed. Fawful and Mephiles mentioned themselves being the dark part of this prophecy, and they mentioned something about this 'Two'... I think Bowsay and Pumpkin are the Two."  
"Well, I think Mephiles and Fawful are mistaken. The Two must be Mario and Sonic!" I growl. "It only makes sense!"  
"Well, Amy, the prophecy said 'sisters', and they seemed to talk about Bowsay and Pumpkin a lot... It must be Bowsay and Pumpkin!"  
"Peach, don't be silly!" I put my paw on my hip, "besides, Mario and Sonic are always the heroes at the end, right? I mean, they're always there to save the day!"  
"Yes, yes they are... But if Bowsay and Pumpkin are under control of Fawful and Mephiles too long, how will they destroy them?"  
"Grrrrrr, I told you, it can't be them! It can only be Mario and Sonic!"  
Now just remembering that Pumpkin Prower used to be my best friend, my angry, fiery face suddenly calms down. My eyes start to water.  
After a few hours of a long conversation and a little silence, Princess Peach asks me, "Amy, will you promise, for the rest of this adventure and for the rest of our possible adventures to come," she sniffles and sheds a tear, "will you stand by my side?"  
I pause for a second, then say,  
"Yes, Peach," shedding a tear myself, "even if this is our last adventure together, I will always, ALWAYS stand by your side." I sniffle and shed some more tears.  
"Will you stand by mine?" I ask my friend in return.  
"Yes, Amy, I will," Peach replies softly.  
"This time, there's so much sorrow and loss in this adventure," I state.  
"Sonic's adventures have always been too easy, but for this one, he better keep his eyes open. But... Why does this have to happen?"  
I close my eyes and imagine Sonic defeating Eggman's base, unaware that Mephiles is right behind him, about to kill him... Then, once Tails finds Sonic, he's too distracted, unaware that Pumpkin, his very own twin sister, is about kill him...  
We both sit down, hug our knees, put our heads down, and sob some more. Peach is crying Mario's name while I obviously cry,  
"SOOOOOONIIIIIIIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
This is a time of great darkness. And only Mario and my Sonic can stop it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Peach/Amy


	19. Gobblegut Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 1/1/16: Made Mario talk less (though he still talks a lot when he explains how to defeat Gobblegut) reworded a little. Happy 2016!

Whoa! Tails isn't there! Why does Dark Amy think he's so important? And what does she want with Shadow?  
"What is so special about me this time?!" Shadow growls, making a fist.  
Rouge shrugs and says, "Who knows?... What if they were cloned by Mephiles-?"  
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Shadow, Silver, and Blaze scream at the same time.  
"He was bad enough when we first faced him!" Silver informs, slightly struggling to stand up, and holding up a fist to Rouge.  
Pushing Silver's fist away, Shadow roars at Rouge, "It would be horrible to face him again! Especially since he is basically my CLONE!"  
"Aaaaah, so maybe I'm right! 'Clone'," Rouge replies.  
Mephiles? Who is Mephiles? He seems like someone only Sonic and his friends know...  
"You don't want to know who Mephiles is," Blaze informs them.  
"He almost killed me," Sonic tells us. "But really, we don't have to worry about him anymore because Princess Elise blew out the Solaris flame."  
I have no idea who Princess Elise or Solaris is, but I don't really care, if he doesn't even exist.  
Wait... What is that? It's coming closer and closer... It's a... giant... FIREBALL!  
"I've got this covered!" Silver shouts. Using his psychics, Silver flies in midair and slices the fireball into pieces, causing smoke to fly everywhere.  
As Silver lands on the wet, mossy soil, Blaze shouts, "Silver! Your psychics are back!"  
"They're getting better," states Silver, sliding his hands together so fast to make a clapping sound, "but they're still not 100% at their best. If they were, I could've sent the fireball in the other direction."  
Behind the smoke, Bowser appears in his Koopa Clown Copter (which looks really silly for any monstrous villain).  
"Ah, Mario," Bowser says in a too-bad-for-me tone, "you shou' be lucky tha' yeh befriended someone with psychics like tha'!"  
Then Bowser leans over to us and says in a more evil tone, "Too bad not even HE can stop me & Eggman's MASTER PLAN!"  
"Let me guess," Luigi speculated, placing his hand on his chin like he's thinking, then points, "you two are creating an evil empire galaxy in the center of the universe!"  
"Aaah, Luigi, yeh're a good guesser," Bowser retorted, "and yeh're... righ'..." I guess Bowser didn't expect Luigi to know so quickly. But that doesn't surprise me anyway... Way to go, Bro!  
"But now I've captured y'all's friend! Mwahaha!" Bowser states.  
Suddenly, a giant, floating, snake-like monster with bellyache bulges flys towards us and encircles Bowser. Yup, that's Gobblegut alright. Birdo is floating in a clear, pink bubble.  
"Birdo!" Yoshi calls.  
"Birdo! Birdo birdo! (Help! I've been swallowed by Gobblegut!)" Birdo informs.  
"Mario," the blue hedgehog informs me, putting his paw on my shoulder, "I'm gonna take Shadow, Rouge, Silver, Blaze, and Knuckles with me. We're gonna search deep in the rainforest to find more about Bowser and Eggman's plan, or evidence about Dark Peach and Dark Amy." Sonic then smiles for a beat and asks, "You'll be able to handle Gobblegut won't you?"  
"Definitely!" I exclaim. I've done it twice already, so a third time will be a piece of cake!  
Sonic take his paw off my shoulder, gives a thumbs up, and winks, "I know you can. You're Mario, you can do anything!"  
Aw, Sonic is always so positive, and I love him for that!  
As Sonic and his friends search deep in the rainforest, Luigi and I fight Gobblegut, while Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, and Yoshi try to find out another way to free Birdo.  
"Yeh'll never stop Gobblegut now, Mario and Luigi!" Bowser roars, then does an evil laugh and flies away in his Koopa Clown Copter.  
Gobblegut, the giant, ugly, flying, snake-like monster that loves to gobble things up, roars very loud, louder than Bowser just did, steam flying out of his nostrils sounding just like a train (and that's not even a simile!). I know exactly how to defeat it, because I've had to face it twice in outer space; once in its normal form (like it is right now), and once in its fiery form. The thing is, the planets I fought Gobblegut on were puny compared to Earth...  
Gobblegut charges at Luigi and me, trying to eat us.  
"Look out!" Luigi cries, pushing me aside, causing Gobblegut to eat dirty moss instead of me.  
"Luigi," I check with my brother, "do you remember how to defeat Gobblegut?"  
"Um, maybe," Luigi wonders. "Can you refresh me?"  
"First," I start explaining, "it's gonna try to eat us so we must always be moving. Then, it's gonna charge at us.  
"Once Gobblegut charges at us, it'll dig into and eat the soil. As it digs out, its red bellyache bulges will temporarily be stuck, and that'll give us time to hit them. Once we hit all six bulges, Gobblegut will disappear."  
"But how are we gonna hit the bulges?" Luigi questions, confused.  
"With Spin Attack, of course!" I reply in a what-do-you-think?!!! tone.  
"But we need a Luma inside of us!" exclaims Luigi.  
Uh oh... Luigi's right. We do need a Luma inside of us in order to use Spin Attack...  
"Did someone say they needed Lumas?" a voice calls out happily. It sounds familiar...  
"Young Master Luma!" I exclaim. Haven't seen him in awhile!  
The apricot Young Master Luma exuberantly flies out of the trees, along with a yellow Luma.  
"I knew you would need help sometime again!" he exclaims, laughing.  
Young Master Luma enters my body while the other yellow Luma enters Luigi. As we do a test spin, Luigi and I find out that we have our Spin Attack back. Now we can fight Gobblegut. Yes!  
Gobblegut makes another train-like roar, more steam flowing out of his nostrils. He dives toward Luigi and I, but misses them because we run out of the way, causing Gobblegut to dig through the soil.  
"How will we know where he'll dig out, Mario?" Luigi asks.  
I shrug. This isn't like fighting Gobblegut on the tiny little planet, knowing that he'll just dig straight through the planet.  
Oh look! There's a giant hill forming! That must be where it's coming out!  
Gobblegut comes flying out of the hill, roaring. Luigi and I run toward his bellyache bulges and use our Spin Attack on three of them.  
Suddenly, as Gobblegut blows more steam out of his nose, he turns red and on fire. That's his fiery version, and that's worse than the normal one Luigi and I were just fighting.  
"One of his bellyache bulges is pink!" Luigi calls out. "Birdo must be in there!"  
I nod.  
Luigi and I continue dodging the flying, snake-like, fiery dragon, causing it to eat more soil as it fails to attempt to eat us again.  
Once Gobblegut digs in and out the soil, Luigi and I use Spin Attack to destroy two more of Gobblegut's bellyache bulges.  
Somehow, though, we are unable to destroy the pink one. It must be extra protected so we wouldn't save Birdo.  
"It's too strong, Mario!" Luigi shouts. "We're to weak to destroy the pink bulge!"  
Suddenly, two peanuts fly through the air, hitting Gobblegut in both eyes. As it makes another train-like roar and looks in that direction, a small monkey wearing a red vest and a red cap with a star on it makes a monkey cry. I know that monkey! There's only one I know that shoots peanuts!  
"Diddy Kong!" Luigi exclaims.  
Being my normal silent self, I smile and grunt.  
Then, a larger, more muscular monkey in a tie jumps over Diddy Kong and makes more of a gorilla-like cry. That would definently be Donkey Kong.  
Donkey bangs his chest. Then, he runs towards Gobblegut and smashes the sixth bellyache bulge.  
Gobblegut then shines very brightly, burps, and poofs away. Birdo then comes flying out, screaming so loud that my brother and I had to cover our ears.  
As Birdo stands up from landing face-first, she brushes the soil off of her arms and says appreciatively, "Birdo birdo birdo! Birdo biiiiirdo...(Thanks you guys so much! Gosh, Gobblegut's tummy had pretty bad odor...)"  
"How did you find us, Donkey Kong?" Luigi questions.  
"Ook ook oooook! (Daisy, Yoshi, Waluigi, and Wario found us!)" Donkey Kong explains.  
"Ook ook ook ooooooook! (Daisy told us that y'all were trying to save Birdo, so we came to help!)" Diddy Kong adds.  
Suddenly, I spot a pink speck far off in the rainforest. Then, the speck turns into a bat.  
As it starts to rain, I point out, "Hey look! It's Rouge!"  
"Miss me, bozos?" Rouge says, joking around as she lands in front of me and Luigi. "You knew I would come back someday!  
"Aaaah, you guys saved Birdo! How sweet!" the bat states. She smiles and walks up to Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.  
"Hey, Donkey Kong! Long time no see!" Rouge puts her paw on her hip.  
"And Diddy Kong! Nice to meetcha!" Rouge reaches out her other paw and shakes paws with Diddy Kong. Diddy Kong looks kind of uncomfortable with Rouge the Bat...  
Rouge flies back towards Luigi and me and says, "Anyway, we think we found a clue about Pumpkin. Follow me."  
As Rouge flies away, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Birdo, and I follow Rouge through the rainforest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario


	20. Egg Cerbrus retur...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 1/3/16: Just grammar edits

(Huff huff huff) Ugh, I'm tired... No! I'm never tired! Okay, this time, maybe I am...  
Shadow, Rouge, Silver, Blaze, Knuckles, and I have been searching the rainforest for clues about Dr. Eggman and Bowser, or clues about Dark Amy and Dark Peach.  
I'm kind of confused right now. Rouge mentioned Mephiles earlier. Mephiles is part of this Sun God named Solaris.  
The problem is, as I mentioned earlier, Princess Elise of Soleanna extinguished the Solaris Flame, causing Solaris to never exist and causing that one adventure to never happen. And if that adventure never happened, then how could Rouge have mentioned Mephiles and how could Shadow, Silver, and Blaze have reacted so quickly? I mean, with the flame gone, that would also mean Mephiles never existed and never tried to kill me...  
Back to present time, the six of us hear a tree shaking nearby.  
"Could that be another spy?" Blaze wonders.  
"Possibly," Silver agrees.  
"I'll investigate," Knuckles says.  
Using his spikes on his knuckles, Knuckles starts to climb the tree where the shaking sound must have come from.  
"That echidna's too slow," Rouge insults. "I'll investigate instead."  
Ugh, no, not another Knuckles-Rouge fight...  
The bat quickly flies up to the top of the tree while Knuckles is halfway up.  
I hear Rouge say, "Aha! Gotcha!"  
As she flies back down to the forest floor, Rouge holds up one of Dr. Eggman's Kiki robots.  
"I knew I would be fast enough before it could get away!" she says, holding the Kiki by its tail and playing with it as if it were a yo-yo.  
Then she looks up at Knuckles, who didn't realize Rouge was just at the top of the tree, and boasts, "Not even some echidna I know would be that quick enough!"  
Knuckles looks down at Rouge and sees she caught a Kiki.  
"Hey!" he shouts, then jumps down off the tree landing perfectly on his hind paws.  
"You think you're better than me? Time to take you down!" Knuckles makes a fist and is running to attempt to punch Rouge, but she flies away, making Knuckles punch a tree.  
"Hah! You're nothing compared to me, Knuckles!" Rouge brags, still holding the Kiki.  
"Can we STOP all this nonsense and START to work together???!!!" Shadow roars, intervening. THANK YOU, Shadow.  
"Fine," Rouge sighs.  
"That doesn't mean this is over Rouge," Knuckles huffs.  
"It's starting to rain," declares Blaze. "We should find shelter."  
"Nonsense. We can search in the rain!" states Knuckles, pumped up.  
"Hey - where's Silver?" I question.  
"Hey guys! Up here!" Silver calls from a high elevation.  
"Silver! Where are you?" Blaze calls out.  
"I'm up here in this treehouse! And I think I found a clue!" Silver shouts back.  
"Okay! We're coming! Can you give me a lift?" Blaze answers and asks.  
Blaze and I are lifted up by Silver's psychics, Rouge flies, Shadow uses Chaos Control to teleport up there, and Knuckles climbs using his spikes.  
As Blaze lands face-first (again), she asks, "Ugh... So, Silver, what did you find?"  
"This scent is so familiar..." he observes, giving Blaze a helping hand up.  
As I sniff the air, the scent DOES smell familiar...  
"That's Pumpkin's scent!" I announce. "She's been here!"  
"Pumpkin? Here?" Shadow questions, "Are you sure it's her scent, Sonic?"  
"Positive," I declare.  
"Hmm..." Shadow sniffs the air. "It kind of smells like Dark Amy and Dark Peach..."  
Rouge searches through an empty dresser. She pulls out pink eye shadow that she finds in one of the drawers.  
"Aaaah, Kiki, let's see what YOU can do!" the bat recites, giving the monkey-robot an evil look while still holding its tail.  
The Kiki sniffs the eye shadow. Then, its eyes pop open, and it starts running towards a window.  
"She must've gone that way," Rouge points out, holding the Kiki by its tail so it wouldn't escape.  
The bat then smells the eye shadow herself.  
"This scent is sort of familiar," she says as she examines it. "I don't 100% remember what a Koopatroopa smells like, but this pink eye shadow kind of smells like one..."  
I try to think of why a Koopatroopa would be here. I try to remember what happened when Tails spoke to Dr. Eggman...  
'I don't believe you. Tell me the TRUTH!!!!!' Tails shouted to Dr Eggman.  
'Why, I just did!' Eggman replied.  
'He's right, yeh know,' Bowser interrupted, 'my youngest daughter's with her!'  
Then, I try to clearly remember the video that Bowser played on the screen. I pay close attention to his daughter, more to her face. Then, I remember seeing the pink eye shadow on her.  
Having no idea what her name is, I burst out, "It's Bowser's youngest daughter! Remember? She's with Pumpkin!"  
"Oh yeah, I remember now!" Knuckles informs.  
"Rouge, you go get Mario and them as soon as they defeat that gobble monster," I suggest.  
"Right on it, Sonic!" Rouge flees the treehouse and searches for Mario and his friends.  
"So, why would BOWSER'S daughter hang out with a fox that's on the complete opposite side of her?" Silver demands.  
"Hmph," Shadow grunts, "beats me, it still smells like Dark Amy and Dark Peach!"  
"We get the idea, Shadow," I remind the black hedgehog.  
"It still doesn't make sense, though," says Knuckles, crossing his arms, "how a bad guy would free a good guy and run away with him or her like that."  
"Well, this is the first time I knew Bowser even HAD a daughter!" exclaims Silver.  
"Two, actually," I inform the white hedgehog. "Bowser actually has nine children. I dunno all they're names, but two of them, including the one with Pumpkin, are female. The other female would be Wendy O. Koopa."  
"And how do YOU know???!!!" challenges Knuckles.  
"Duh! Mario told me!" I answer. Mario tells me a lot of things!  
"However," I continue, "I think this is the first time Bowser's other daughter's been mentioned. She must've wanted to be secret somehow..."  
"Who cares about her?!" Shadow roars. "Right now I only care about stopping the Doctor and Bowser and saving Pumpkin!"  
Knuckles looks at me as Shadow walks towards a window. He shrugs with an I-guess-there's-nothing-we-can-do-about-him look on his face.  
"Hey, guys, I found Mario and them!" Rouge calls out, followed by Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, a tiny little monkey I think named Diddy Kong, and Birdo.  
"Great!" I smile.  
"Hey guys," Silver informs Mario, Luigi, and Birdo, "I'm gonna give y'all a lift!"  
Mario nods. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong clamber up the tree while the other three are lifted by Silver's psychics.  
"Hey! Rouge!" A familiar country girl calls out.  
"Daisy! Where were you guys?" Rouge demands.  
Princess Daisy quickly runs near the bat, followed by Yoshi, Waluigi, and Wario. Huffing and puffing, Daisy hollers,  
"Mario, we saw you with Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Birdo following Rouge, so we decided to follow y'all!"  
"Ook ooook OOOK!!! (I'm here TOO!)" Diddy Kong corrects.  
"Yes, AND Diddy Kong," Daisy adds.  
Silver lifts the four of them up into the treehouse.  
"Ook, ook ook! (Hey, it kind of smells like Koopa in here!)" Donkey Kong realizes.  
"Not just any Koopa," I interrupt, "Bowser's youngest daughter's been here!"  
"Bowsay?" Luigi says.  
"Yup, that's her name."  
"Pumpkin was with her," Knuckles informs, "remember from that short video clip Bowser played when we invaded the base?"  
"Waaaah! (Oh yeah! I remember!)" Yoshi announces as his memory is refreshed.  
"What base?" Rouge demands. "You never told me you found Eggman and Bowser's base, did you?"  
"Oh," Shadow grunts, "We did. But I only came at the very end."  
"It was just me, Knuckles, Tails, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Daisy," I informed her.  
"Silver & I were there, too, but I helped Silver most of the time," Blaze adds.  
"I got hit by one of Eggman's giant missile REALLY HARD, and it actually killed me for a second," Silver narrates. Then he smiles at Blaze and says, "Blaze revived me, though."  
"Ook... Ook ook? (Wait... Where's Tails?)" Donkey Kong asks.  
"Captured," I reply to the giant ape, "by these mysterious Dark Clones of Amy and Princess Peach. They captured the real Amy and Peach as well."  
"Enough talk about what we've done already!" Knuckles complains, throwing his fist in the air. "We need to find more about what Eggman and Bowser are up to NOW!"  
"Hello, there!" a sly voice calls out, "Trying to get into other peoples' business? How rude of you guys!"  
Suddenly, everyone rushes towards the entrance of the treehouse and sees Eggman in his Egg Mobile. Man, how many times until he's tired of losing?  
"Ah, I see you guys have already defeated BOWSER JR.'s little monster," the evil genius announces, spotting Birdo. Birdo makes a fist and an angry face.  
"Bowser Jr.?" exclaims Luigi, "That was BOWSER there!!!!!"  
"Oh well, whoever was there," Eggman replies in a does-it-really-matter tone.  
"Oh, hello there, Sonic!" he laughs going back to his evil smile, "I have some of your little friends as well!"  
A clear pink bubble appears in midair and holds Cream the Rabbit and Cheese the Chao.  
"Sonic! We're being kept somewhere underground!" Cream calls.  
"Underground? Where underground?" I ask.  
"I don't know," Cream answers, "but Egg Cerberus keeps stomping on us, and it really hurts!"  
Wait - Egg Cerberus... I've heard that name before...  
"Chao! (Help!)" Cheese calls.  
"But," Eggman continues, "can you defeat my amazing Egg Cerberus ll? Heheheh!" Eggman retreats, still laughing.  
Jumping out of the air, a giant wolf-like robot with a horn appears. It growls very loudly. That must be Egg Cerberus ll.  
Wait - this was created during the Solaris adventure, but now that event's been erased from history. Wasn't there never a first Egg Cerberus?  
"We know what to do, Sonic," Shadow informs me. "We jump on its tail, slide on its back, and then ride its horn. Once we're on the horn, we run Egg Cerberus into the wall."  
Wait - How does Shadow remember so clearly how to defeat Egg Cerberus? He fought Egg Cerberus as well during the Solaris adventure, but we've never fought it now... I think this might just be me. Wait-that IS how to defeat Egg Cerberus! I remember!  
I'm starting to wonder what's happening. I clearly saw Princess Elise blow the Solaris Flame out with my VERY OWN EYES, and that's how the Solaris adventure never happened. But how has it happened now? I remember every single event so clearly...  
"Sonic? Sonic, is something wrong?" Shadow interrupts my thoughts.  
I shake my head, pushing all my thoughts away.  
"Nah. Everything's fine," I lie.  
I look up and say, "L-let's fight Egg Cerberus ll."  
Shadow and I jump off the treehouse and land on the flat moss of a wide open space in the rainforest.  
"Rouge!" Shadow calls out, "let Kiki lead the rest of the team towards Pumpkin."  
"Aye-aye, Shadow," Rouge replies, placing her free paw over her forehead.  
Egg Cerberus ll sniffs around, then stands on its hind paws and roars. As it goes back to its forepaws, I smile and mutter under my breath,  
"So, Eggman, you got a new pet? This one'll probably be more fun to play with!"  
As the wolf-like robot charges for me and Shadow, we dodge the attack, then we sneak behind its back.  
"Sonic," Shadow informs me, "I suggest you handle Egg Cerebus ll. Once you can't handle it, I'll handle the rest."  
I nod and jump for the giant wolf robots's tail. This was just like jumping on the first Egg Cerberus' tail, which the first one was more of a giant dog-like robot.  
As I slide on its spine, I realize how almost-exact it feels like compared to the first Egg Cerberus. Still, the first Egg Cerberus is supposed to have never existed...  
Once I jump on the horn, I steer Egg Cerberus ll into a wall. Yup, easy as pie.  
Egg Cerberus ll roars, angrier. Then, it suddenly charges at me faster. I jump on its tail, and run it into a wall again. WAY too easy.  
The wolf-like robot jumps onto a huge tree, getting ready to jump on me. It jumps and...!  
CRASH!!! My legs are hurt badly from the jump. I can still walk, but I can't run at the speed of sound right now. I try to slowly walk out of the open space. Just realizing it's still raining, I stick my tongue out to grab a few raindrops. Then, I start to slowly run back to the treehouse.  
"You really think so, Doctor?" Shadow mutters under his breath. Then he turns towards me and shouts, "Sonic! You rest for now. Let me handle the rest of Egg Cerberus ll." Shadow leaps over me, then crosses his arms.  
As Shadow runs the giant robot into the wall a few more times, it is still not yet defeated.  
"Whattawe do, Shadow???!!!" I demand.  
Huffing and puffing, Shadow answers, "The armor's too thick! There's no way we can defeat it!"  
Trying to encourage him, I reply, "Shadow, man, think positive! What about Cream and Cheese?"  
"Does someone need any help?" a familiar rockstar-like voice hollers.  
"Vector!" I call out.  
"Hey, Sonic!" the crocodile calls out, giving me a hi-five, then a fist bump.  
"What're you doing here, Vector?" I question.  
"Just saw yeh needed a little help!" Vector laughs. "Don't worry, Espio and Charmy got the rest of Egg Cerberus ll handled!"  
I don't really know what Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee would do to stop that HUGE wolf-like machine (okay, maybe Espio, but not Charmy...)...  
Suddenly, I spot Charmy in the middle of the wide open space. Shadow stops running.  
"Charmy!" Shadow yells, "What are you doing here at a time like THIS???!!!"  
"I'm saving your life, Shadow!" Charmy squeaks, childish. "Plus, you're unbelievable!"  
"If I were THAT unbelievable," Shadow fusses, "I wouldn't be appearing out of nowhere WIDE OPEN to the ENEMY!!!!!!"  
"Don't worry, Shadow," Charmy looks back at Shadow, smiles, then winks and says, "we got your back!"  
Facing out in the open, Charmy uses one paw to cup his mouth and then calls, "OOOOOH ESPIO!!!!!!"  
"Charmy!" Espio's voice orders, "Catch!"  
Suddenly, something out of nowhere throws a rope to Charmy. That must be Espio invisible. He IS a chameleon.  
As Charmy catches the rope, he informs, "GOT IT!!!!!"  
"We're gonna hit it's belly!" Charmy tells Shadow.  
"What does that have to do with a ROPE?!" demands Shadow.  
"Charmy, I can handle this," Espio halts the childish bee, still invisible.  
As he turns visible, Espio explains to Shadow, "Shadow, Charmy and I are going to trip Egg Cerberus ll. We spied on Dr. Eggman earlier, and we found out that the belly is its weak spot."  
I ask Vector, "When did you spy on Eggman?"  
The crocodile replies, "That doesn't matter. But Bowser was there, too. We know what they're up to-"  
"-We know, too," I interrupt. "Bowser and Dr. Eggman are building an evil empire in the center of the universe."  
"That's right," Vector agrees, "but Eggman's using these colorful aliens to strengthen the weapon..."  
"Weapon? What weapon?" I question.  
"You see," answers Vector, "he & Bowser are building some weapon that will set the WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE to flames, and Eggmanland and Bowserland will be reborn from the ashes..."  
"But how can they do that? The universe is mostly made of air," I state, lifting my paw to feel the air.  
"I dunno," Vector shrugs.  
"So, Vector, um... what were you saying about those colorful aliens?" I try to get Vector back to what he was saying. Hmm... It seems like I've met colorful aliens before...  
"Colorful aliens? Oh, right!" Vector continues, "Eggman's using them, and each color has a certain power..."  
"Oh! I think I remember!" I exclaim. "Are they called, um... Lisps?"  
"No, Sonic, I'm pretty sure they're called Wisps, with a W," corrects Vector.  
"Whatever. I just call them aliens."  
"Eggman's also trying to summon this dark monster in the center of the Earth," Vector states. "It had a weird name that began with a C..."  
"Are you sure it didn't begin with a G?" I make sure. I remember Eggman once tried to summon a dark monster in the center of the Earth. I forgot what it was called, but I'm positive it began with a G...  
"Oh well, whatever it began with," Vector shrugs. "It had a strange title, though..."  
"Dark Gaia!" I remember, "Eggman's trying to awaken it AGAIN?"  
"Yup," the crocodile nods. "There was one more thing about these Flames..."  
"Oh no!" I shriek. Now I'm even more confused. There's no way Dr. Eggman's adding the Flames of Disaster known as Iblis to his weapon! "The Flames of Disaster?"  
"Yup," replies Vector, crossing his arms, "and that's pretty much all of Eggman's side of the plan."  
"Anything about Bowser? What's his plan?" I wonder, hearing enough of Dr. Eggman's plan.  
"Oh, Bowser? He's using these special stars and these things called 'Shine Sprites' for this weapon..." Vector informs me. "Do you think you know what they are?"  
"No idea," I reply, "but I betcha Mario knows!"  
"Speaking of Mario," asks Vector, "where is he?"  
"Long story," I try to finish quickly, "I'll explain later. Is Bowser trying to find anything else?"  
"There's this emotion scepter that he's using to control others' emotions, but I don't know much about that either... Mario might know..."  
As I look back at Shadow, Espio, and Charmy fighting Egg Cerberus ll, the giant wolf-like robot is lying down on its back.  
"Vector! We're leaving the final hit to you!" Charmy offers.  
"No problem!" Vector accepts. He runs to the robot, jumps, and tackles its belly.  
"Here goes!" the crocodile punches the belly, and smoke starts steaming out.  
"Brace yourselves!" Vector yells.  
As Vector, Shadow, Charmy, and Espio run farther away from Egg Cerberus ll, the robot explodes.  
"Looks like we destroyed it," I state. "I guess Dr. Eggman still needs to learn to think twice before messing with us."  
"Oh really?" Dr. Eggman calls out of nowhere.  
"Hey... You overheard us!" Shadow answers.  
Dr. Eggman walks out from behind a tree, grinning evilly and laughing.  
"Aaaah, Sonic, you seemed to have had a little help from friends this time!" Eggman sneers. "Too bad that no one will be able to help you when we finish this-" he points at me, "-ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!!!!!!"  
"I'm not afraid of you! Just make me!" I challenge.  
"Hmm..." Dr. Eggman places his hand on his chin, thinking, "It's about dark already..."  
Dark? What about dark? - Oh, now I know what's going on.  
"Vector! Espio! Charmy! Shadow!" I whisper loudly, "Retreat the open space! Get out! Find a tree!"  
Team Chaotix nods and follows me to a safe place outside of the open. It's not raining anymore, so there isn't anything to electrocute what Eggman's up to...!  
"Oh, Sonic, you're nothing but a great big cowardly hedgehog!" Eggman teases, talking to me like a pet.  
"What are you going to do, Doctor?" Shadow demands.  
"Shadow! Get out of the open, quickly!" I warn him, cupping my paws around my mouth.  
"Nonsense. He'll just retreat!" Shadow retorts.  
"Listen to me, Shadow!" I command, "I know what he's doing, and you have to get out of there before he does it! Trust me!"  
Shadow looks back at me, says "Ugh, fine," then starts running toward me and Team Chaotix.  
"You're too late now, Shadow," Eggman mumbles. The evil genius holds out a button, presses it, and laughs. Eggman's gonna turn Shadow into a werehog.  
Trianagle-shaped columns rise from the ground, all surrounding the black hedgehog. Then, bolts of lightning come out of the tops of each column, all shocking Shadow.  
"YOU LET HIM GO, EGGMAN!!!!!!!!!" Charmy screams, flying around the columns towards Dr Eggman.  
"Charmy, no! Get back here!" Vector commands, but the bumblebee doesn't listen to him.  
"I'll go after him," Espio informs Vector. The chameleon turns invisible and races after Charmy. At this point, Shadow is already half-werehog.  
"YOU LEAVE SHADOW ALONE!!!!!!" Charmy screams once he reaches Eggman. The bumblebee flies into Eggman, causing Eggman to drop the button. Charmy then steps on the button, shattering it into pieces.  
The triangle-shaped columns stop releasing lightning and go back into the earth. Shadow then turns back into his normal self.  
Dr. Eggman stares in shock. "What??? No, I-I was just stopped by an annoying pesky little child!"  
Charmy makes silly faces at Dr Eggman. Eggman, looking mad, jumps into his Egg Mobile.  
"You were lucky today, Sonic," Eggman says, "but in the end, no one will be there to save you. This applies for you too, Shadow and Team Chaotix!"  
As Eggman flies away, Vector asks, "So, um, where's Mario and Tails and the rest of the gang?"  
"Oh, them?" I explain to Vector all about Dark Amy and Dark Peach and how they captured the real Amy and Peach. I tell him all about when we went to invade Eggman and Bowser's hideout and that we found out Pumpkin was with Bowsay. I explain how Dark Amy also captured Tails. Then I explain about the treehouse we just found and how Bowsay and Pumpkin's scent was in there. Shadow then informs that Rouge is using a Kiki-bot to guide the team through the scent trail.  
"So Rouge went that way?" Espio points towards the setting sun after sniffing the air.  
"Yup, that's where they went," Shadow repeats. "Oh, and by the way," Shadow smiles at Charmy, "thanks, Charmy."  
Charmy winks and returns the smile. "No problem!"  
"Sonic! Mister Sonic! Shadow!" Cream cries out, running to give us a hug.  
"Cream! Cheese! You're alright!" I let out a sigh of relief.  
As she lets go, the rabbit explains, "Dr. Eggman has a HUGE plan, along with Bowser, to-"  
"-Cream," Vector interrupts her, "we know pretty much all of Eggman's side of the plan. Right now, we're trying to find out more about Bowser's."  
"Well, we might as well catch up with the rest of the team," I remind everyone else.  
"All right! Let's go!" Charmy shouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Sonic


	21. Dark Peach's Announcement

Uh... Oh, hey there... I'm Bowser Junior... Yeah, you know what I love, technology, art, helping my dad, King Bowser... Metal Sonic's my best friend...  
Sorry, I'm never usually acting this way. I'm never usually all stressed out like this. You know Bowsay's my twin sister, and you know what happened to her and Tails' twin sister.  
Bowsay... Well, we sort of have a hatred between each other, because we always play disgusting tricks and pranks on each other. But losing her? Having no idea where she is? I'm acting - wait, no, I'm not acting, this is real - WAAAAAY more stressed than I thought I would be. Maybe I miss the fun of pranking Bowsay? No, that can't be it... She's my sister. I guess I love her.  
As I sit in my room in Daddy and Eggman's hideout, I sit down on my floor, cross my arms, look down, and sigh. Then, I pick up a scrapbook containing all the fun memories Bowsay, the Koopalings, and I have had together. I sort of start to shed a tear.  
I then hear my door squeak open.  
"Beep ba-deep ba-doop? (Bowser Jr? Can I come in?)" a robot calls out.  
I look back to see who's at my door, wondering if it's a stranger. Then I realize it's just Metal Sonic.  
"Sure," I groan, then turn back around to look back at the scrapbook.  
As Metal Sonic approaches behind me, he asks, "Beep? Bleep bop boop bop BOOP! (Junior, buddy, what's up? You're so quiet compared to that chatterbox that you usually are!)"  
I let out a sigh of grief. "I know, Metal Sonic," I reply, "but I'm still worried about Bowsay. I really wish the Koopalings were here right now to keep me company."  
"Beeeep... Beep ba-deep... (Yeah... It must be that sad to lose a family member that close to you...)" Metal Sonic agrees, "Beep bopity bop (But don't forget that I'm always here as company as well)."  
The truth is, that robot never tries to cheer anyone up except me. It's strange to be best friends with a robot, but Metal Sonic is really amazing.  
Suddenly, I hear my dad roar, "BOWSER KOOPA JUNIOR!!!!!! Where have yeh been all this time???!!!"  
Oh, I forgot to tell you, since I've been struck by grief, I haven't been doing my duties to my dad.  
"Metal Sonic," I whisper, "you might wanna leave!"  
Metal Sonic nods, then runs out the door.  
"I'm in my room!" I moan.  
As Dad marches into my room, he roars with steam flying out of his nostrils.  
"WHY HAVEN'T YEH BEEN DOING YER DUTIES???!!!" he demands. "The weapon AND the empire will never reach its height until YOU do something ABOUT IT!!!"  
"I'm sorry," I whine, "I'm just um... tired." That was part of the truth. I AM tired, but you know why I'm not doing my duties. I just told you.  
"Because yeh wouldn't obey me, I had to handle Gobblegut for yeh! Yeh know that I can't handle that dragon as well as you can! He's yer pet!"  
I sigh, look back at my dad, and then start to cry.  
"I'm really sorry, Pa! I've changed, and I really need to be left alone!" I hug my knees and put my head down.  
Dad is silent for a bit, then he puts his paw around my shoulder.  
"Hey, kid, I'm sorry I yelled at yeh," he apologizes.  
"It has nothing to do with you yelling at me," I reply. Still crying, I look up beside me at Dad. "It's... Bowsay."  
My dad sighs.  
"I know... It's still heart-breaking she's gone, and I'm still heart-broken she's gone," he states, "but Junior, there's still hope of finding her. She ain't completely gone yet. She can't be. But if Bowsay's dead, it's not the end of the world."  
"Dad," I start to ask, sort of calming down, but not very much, "do you... do you ever... cry?"  
"Not on the outside," my big daddy answers. "Some creatures just don't cry. But I do indeed cry on the inside."  
"I thought you were only sad from defeat? You're not supposed to be afraid or sad about anyone or anything else!" I explain.  
"No, Junior, that's different," Dad explains. "I always worry 'bout losing you and all the rest of the Koopalings, just like we lost Bowsay. Sometimes kings can get scared, and one day, son, when you're the ruler of the Koopa Troop, I know yeh WILL be scared at times. But yeh'll be alright."  
I look down for a while, then look back up and say, "Thanks, Dad. You're the best dad in the world," I smile, almost calmed down.  
"Oh c'mere, kiddo!" I lean into my colossal father and give him a big hug.  
"You just be safe, 'kay?" he demands.  
"Promise," I answer. I don't always keep my promises, but I always, ALWAYS keep them with my dad.  
"Bowser! What's taking you so long?!" Dr Eggman's voice shouts.  
"Oh, Junior, I need to ge' back to my work with Dr. Eggman," Dad says.  
"Okay! Bye!" I wave bye to my papa as he exits my room. Then, Metal Sonic walks back in.  
"Bloooooohp... Blahpity blahpity beep? (Whoooooooa... What was all that for, Bowser Jr.?)" Metal Sonic questions.  
"Aw, nothing," I quickly recite. Metal Sonic may be my best friend, but all of that conversation that I just had with my dad is none of his business.  
A few hours later, I find myself playing with my paddleball, and I'm EXTREMELY bored. Then, I make a plan.  
I walk to Metal Sonic's room. Metal Sonic is playing a video game about him trying to kill Sonic.  
"Hey, Metal Sonic, um... Do you wanna go on a walk with me?" I ask.  
Metal Sonic turns his chair around in the middle of his game, forgetting to pause it.  
"Blop boop BEEP! Bleepity bop! (Well DUH, of course! Why not?)" Metal Sonic exclaims. It seems that that robot wants to do whatever I want to do. It's kind of weird.  
Suddenly, the video game that Metal Sonic was playing plays a 'game over' song.  
"BEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!! (Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!! I had that Sonic at mercy!!!!!!!!!!)" Metal Sonic sirens.  
"Okay..." I reply, ignoring him, "follow me."  
Metal Sonic and I stroll through the halls of the hideout until we find the Engine Room where Dad and Dr. Eggman work. As I crack the door open, I see Daddy's having an interesting conversation with the evil genius while working.  
"Aw, Bowser," Eggman says with jealousy, "you're lucky you have that Kamek of yours. I still have those dumb fools Orbot and Cubot!"  
"Well, YOU made them, didn't yeh?" my dad replies, trying to get Eggman to stop pestering him.  
"Yeah, but it turned out as a total failure!" Dr Eggman rolls his eyes. Then he smiles evilly and states, "The good thing is, once the Master Plan happens, I won't need those two anymore!"  
"Listen, Doctor," my father explains, "yeh're getting off subject. I don' really care what yeh like or what yeh don't like abou' anythin' right now. I don' need to know everything about yeh. Right now, the subject is working together to complete our Master Plan!"  
"Right..." Eggman says nasally.  
Suddenly, my dad looks back and spots me and Metal Sonic at the entrance to the room.  
"Whataya want, son?" Dad demands.  
I scoot back a little, but then Metal Sonic kicks me directly into the room.  
"Well, uh... I was wondering if Metal Sonic and I could... go on a walk?" I fidget.  
"Are yeh hiding somethin' from me?" my dad crosses his arms.  
"Oh no no no, I'm just... a little shy..." that was the truth. I AM shy.  
"That's fine," Daddy grunts.  
I smile, say, "Thanks," then turn around.  
"As long as Kamek supervises you two," Daddy adds as I start walking out of the room.  
I stop walking. On the inside I think, 'Oh no.'  
I nod, smile, and continue sauntering out, pretending to be happy.  
As I meet up with Metal Sonic, I whisper, "Listen up, buddy, we have to be careful on the walk. Kamek will be watching our every move."  
"Bleep boop bopity! (There must be some way to get rid of him!)" exclaims Metal Sonic.  
"You got a point there," I agree, putting my right paw on my cheek. Suddenly, I raise my eyebrows and gasp. Then, I evilly smile and say, "I know exactly what to do."  
I start leading the way to the room where all the creatures and robots are kept. Once we arrive, I find Gobblegut's cage is empty. Then, Gobblegut poofs into his cage, tired and exhausted. All of its bellyache bulges are gone.  
"Hey there, Gobblegut," I say, stroking his head like a dog as I reach inside the cage. "Have you been a good boy?"  
The giant, ugly, snake-like dragon tries to roar, but then ends up coughing out smoke. His stomach IS empty.  
"Aaaaaw... Have Mario and Luigi been mean to you?" I try to cheer my pet dragon up. Gobblegut then snorts and nods.  
"Good thing I didn't feed you a Power Star or a Shine Sprite or anything else," I state, "or Mario and Luigi would've gotten it."  
I reach deep into my shell for my emergency Power Star. As a grab it, I hold it out and offer to Gobblegut, "Wanna Power Star?"  
Gobblegut's face brightens up and he starts panting. I'll take that as a 'yes'.  
"Here, boy! Catch!" I throw the Star to my pet snake-like dragon, and he eats it happily. Next thing I notice, his bellyache bulges return, this time eight instead of six.  
"Good boy! Now you'll be ready to eat Mario and his pestering friends soon!" I praise Gobblegut.  
"Beep, beep bop doop? (Um, Bowser Jr?)" Metal Sonic asks, nudging my shoulder, "Bleep bo-dop bohp deep? (Does Gobblegut have anything to do with getting rid of Kamek?)"  
"Hmm... Maybe he could do something..." I think. Then, a thought pops into my head.  
"We can't use Gobblegut this time," I inform my best friend, "otherwise its Star Power will all use up. It needs all the power it can have to eat the Mario Brothers."  
"Bowser Jr! Metal Sonic! I hear I'm going on a walk with you two!" a creepy high-pitched voice calls out.  
I sigh. "Yes, Kamek." Kamek may be one of Pa's top minions, but that magikoopa SOOOOO thinks he's Mr Know-It-All.  
"Where's our destination?" Kamek demands, sort of hyper.  
"To my mini Green Slime Hot Tub," I explain.  
While Pa and I were on vacation at Isle Delfino, we had a huge hot tub of green slime at the top of Corona Mountain. Somehow, though, Mama Peach - Wait, no, I mean PRINCESS Peach - didn't want to go in, but the water was just fine! Anyway, after Mario had to ruin our family vacation (sue him!!!!!!!!!), I still had some leftover boiling slime, so I used it to make my own mini hot tub out of it.  
"Okay, then..." Kamek flinches for a second. (He didn't go on family vacation with Dad and I, so he doesn't know a lot about the green slime.) Then he exclaims, "Let's go!"  
"Uh, Kamek!" I fidget, "I need to watch Spongebob for just a second!"  
"But you said you were going on a walk with Metal Sonic!" Kamek shouts, "and you're grounded from TV anyway!"  
I roll my eyes.  
"DON'T YOU ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME, PRINCE BOWSER KOOPA JUNIOR!!!!!!!!!! YOU'LL GET IN TROUBLE WITH YOUR OWN FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kamek waves his magic wand, aiming for me, and lets out a kind of magic shaped like circles, triangles, and squares. I easily dodge it, though. Believe me, sometimes that magikoopa can go WAAAAAAY beyond wild, and it's not pretty. It's like Kamek's ADHM (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Magikoopa).  
"Kamek!" I snap, "First of all, SHUT UP! Second of all," I take a huge breath and roar, "GET ME SOME ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!"  
Metal Sonic puts his paw over his mouth and does a robot laugh. He laughs REALLY hard.  
"What's so funny about ice cream?" Kamek asks confusingly.  
"It's me and Metal Sonic's inside joke," I quickly answer for my friend. One time when I was practicing my fire breathing, I somehow accidently caught my buttox on fire. I have no idea where Metal Sonic came out of (nowhere, I guess?), but guess what Metal Sonic used to extinguish the fire on my butt? ICE CREAM!  
"Where is this ice cream?" Kamek snickers demandingly.  
"Near the Rio Solar City Tower," I inform. I need to get Kamek far from this island near the Amazon. My hot tub IS also in the Amazon, and that should be pretty far away from where that tower is. I don't know my geography, but I'm positive it's far.  
"Hm... Are you sure there's not a place CLOSER to here that sells ice cream?" Kamek wonders.  
"But the best ice cream in the WORLD is made in Rio de Janeiro!" I lie. To tell you the truth, I don't know anything about Rio's ice cream industry or what the best ice cream industry in the world is. I get on my knees and plead,  
"Pleeeeease, Kamek, PLEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"Alright, alright! I'm gonna fly all the way to Rio de Janeiro just to get you some ice cream, Bowser Jr!" Kamek says in a fine-I'll-do-it tone.  
"Thank you! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!" I cry, standing up.  
As soon as the magikoopa zooms off on his broom, Metal Sonic demands, "Beep ba-deep ba-doop? (What's the big deal about ice cream?)"  
"It's to get Kamek away," I answer.  
"Bleep blopity boop DEEP? (Why do you want Kamek to go away? What are you going to do?)" questions the Sonic-like robot.  
"Well, I'm bringing out my music player that I was ALSO grounded from," I pull my music player out of my shell and hold it out.  
"Blop boop beepity bleep bop BOOP? (Didn't you say you had a magic paintbrush that can grant your every wish?)" Metal Sonic asks.  
"Yep," I respond, "but I haven't used it in a while... At least, not on any adventures..."  
I pull my Magic Paintbrush out of my shell. As I hold it for my friend to see, I remember the amount of fun I had painting Isle Delfino with this paintbrush. I smile and start to giggle.  
"Bloopity bloop blop boop? (What's so funny, Junior?)" demands Metal Sonic.  
"Oh, memories," I say.  
"Ba-deep bop beep ba-doop? (If it grants wishes, then why didn't you use it to get rid of Kamek?)" interrogates Metal Sonic.  
"That's different," I explain, "because with my Magic Paintbrush, I can only draw what I wish for. I can't say, 'make Kamek do this' or 'you do the hokey pokey!'  
"We might as well work our way to the rainforest," I remind Metal Sonic.  
"Beep...(Right...)"  
"Aaaaaaah, the water's great in this hot tub!" I announce once I hop in my mini-green slime hot tub. "Metal Sonic, why don't you hop in? Ooooooooh yeeeeeah..."  
"Beep bop doop... (I think not...)" he replies.  
"You sound like Mama Peach - I mean, PRINCESS Peach - when she wouldn't get in me and Dad's hot tub at Corona Mountain. That's what she also said..."  
Metal Sonic crosses his arms and rolls his eyes at me. He doesn't care about almost anything I say now. And how is he my friend? (*shrug*)  
"Kamek's probably still far," I state. Knowing I still have plenty of time, I take out my music player and listen (and hum) to the Super Mario Brothers Theme Song.  
"Beep... Beep bop doop? (Um, Bowser Jr.... Why are you listening to the Super Mario Brothers Theme Song?)"  
"I don't know, Metal Sonic," I exclaim. "I don't really like it, but that song still is pretty catchy..."  
"Bleep bop boop?! (What was that?!)" Metal Sonic recites quickly.  
"What was what?" I retort, pulling my left earphone out. "Is there something that's NOT catchy about that song?"  
"Bleep blop-boop! Blop bleep boop! (No, there was a comet! A purplish-black one!)" the robot points out. Then, the comet he was talking about swishes through the air.  
"That one?" I check.  
My best friend nods.  
As the comet zooms through the air, a blue fireball shoots out of it. Wonder where it's gonna land?  
As it gets closer, I have no time to escape or react. The blue fireball is coming at me at full speed. I shudder, close my eyes, then take my final breath.  
As I open my eyes, I notice I'm not dead. I'm still breathing. The blue fireball is shattered into pieces... Wait a minute... Oh no...!  
Kamek! Turns out he was following me and Metal Sonic the whole time instead of going to the Rio Solar City Tower to get me ice cream! He didn't fall for my trick! Well, Kamek was never really that stupid...  
The dark comet then reaches the ground, and out of the purplish-black smoke appears Dark Peach. She gives an evil smirk directly at me.  
"Aaaaaah, my br-...Prince Bowser Koopa Junior!" recites Dark Peach as she saunters towards me.  
Wait a minute... Dark Peach was gonna call me something that began with a "br" before she recited my whole name... What was she gonna call me? Her bridegroom? Uh-uh... Her breaker? No, that doesn't make any sense... Her... brother? No, that's impossible! I've already been tricked once about the original Princess Peach being my mama, so there's no way Dark Peach can be my sister...!  
I push those thoughts away.  
"What do you want from me, Dark Peach?" I demand.  
"For the past and the future," she points at me, "YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!!!!!!!!"  
Hold on... Could Dark Peach be from another time? Could she be from the past or the future?  
"Why would you destroy me?!" I challenge.  
"Your twin sister knows your exact location," says the dark figure of Princess Peach.  
Bowsay's still alive? What is she doing?  
"What's she up to now?" I demand.  
"She hates you, Bowser Jr," Dark Peach announces, "and whole entire Royal Koopa Line, and your family shall be destroyed!"  
Bowsay? No, this is impossible... Bowsay would never do such a thing! She would never kill anyone! (Not even Mario...):  
"Beep blop bloop ba-deep! (Bowser Jr! Don't listen to her! She's lying!)" Metal Sonic cries.  
"SHUT UP YOU PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!!" screams Dark Peach. She holds up her left hand, causing Metal Sonic to float in the air and hold his paws up to his neck, making the choking signal.  
Dark Peach has psychic powers? Where would she get that if she's Peach's clone? What is Dark Peach really?  
"Leave my best friend alone, you bad woman!" I protest, "I won't let you take Metal Sonic away!" This sounds similar to when I yelled at Mario back at Isle Delfino, "Leave my mama alone, you bad man, I won't let you take Mama Peach away!"  
"Best friend? Metal Sonic? He's you're best friend?" Dark Peach questions, sounding like original Peach saying, "Mama? Mama Peach? I'm you're Mama?"  
"Yeah - We've been friends since the Vancouver, Canada, Olympics!" I exclaim.  
Dark Peach then puts her other hand above her mouth and starts cackling.  
"YOU'RE best friends with a ROBOT???!!! How STUPID is THAT???!!! Aaaahahahaha!" Dark Peach insults.  
"Not stupid at all, actually," I fight back, standing up for my friend. That's what friends do.  
As Dark Peach's cackling calms down, she demands, "now, where were we?"  
"Tell me," I command, pointing at her, "Where's Bowsay?"  
"Ah yes, her," Dark Peach clears her throat, "She is somewhere in the rainforest." She grins evilly, "In fact, she can see you right now!"  
Right now? Where IS Bowsay? I slowly rotate clockwise around, trying to spot my twin sister. No luck.  
"You must be joking," I say.  
Dark Peach hisses, "No, Bowser Jr, this is no joke. I never lie."  
"Then tell me - WHERE IS SHE???"  
"She's about to kill you."  
I turn around to see if Bowsay's behind me, worried.  
"Bowsay? B-B-Bowsay??? Where are you?" I pause to wait for a response. Still, it's silent.  
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, sis, b-but don't kill me... Or else... I'll paint you away with my Magic Paintbrush of Awesomeness!" Still, Bowsay doesn't respond.  
"Bowsay, I'm serious! Show yourself!" I demand.  
"That's it," I mumble, "I guess I'm gonna have to do this the hard way."  
I jump straight up high and spin with my paintbrush in my paws, releasing toxic paint goop all over the surrounding trees.  
I turn back around to face Dark Peach. Using her hand that's holding Metal Sonic, she makes it a fist, giving Metal Sonic a huge electric shock. Metal Sonic falls to the moss, unconscious.  
"You're next, Junior!" hisses Dark Peach, her eyes turning laser-red. Great, Dark Peach must work for Bowsay, because SHE'S about to kill me. Maybe she speaks for Bowsay.  
Totally forgetting he was still here, I notice Kamek flying between us two and shouts, "I WON'T LET YOU HURT PRINCE BOWSER KOOPA JUNIOR!!!!!" Then the magikoopa whispers to me, "I'll handle Dark Peach. Go fix Metal Sonic."  
I nod. I rush toward my robot friend. Once I reach him, I see ducks on his eyes.  
Hm, what was that gear song Metal Sonic taught me in order to fix him? ...Oh yes!  
The foot gear's connected to the ankle gear,  
The ankle gear's connected to the shin gear,  
The shin gear's connected to the knee gear,  
And that's how you fix your friend!  
The knee gear's connected to the thigh gear,  
The thigh gear's connected to the hip gear,  
The hip gear's connected to the back gear,  
And that's how you fix your friend!  
The back gear's connected to the shoulder gear,  
The shoulder gear's connected to the neck gear,  
The neck gear's connected to the head gear,  
And that's how you fix your friend!  
Ugh, talk about that bone song I learned when I was a toddler!  
Aha! Metal Sonic still works! I think he has some amnesia, though...  
"Who am I?" I ask slowly and clearly, testing Metal Sonic's memory.  
"Bloooooooop... Blop beep boop beep? (You... Bowser Junior?)"  
"Correct! Now, who is MY father and YOUR creator?"  
"Zzzzzt... Blop bleep beep ba-deep ba-doop? (Um... Bowser is your father and Doctor Eggman is my creator?)"  
"Right! Now... What is the HUGE Master Plan that they have?"  
"Bop boop beep bloop bleep ba-deep ba-doop? (To build an evil empire in the center of the universe?)"  
"No, no, NO!" I roar, "That's only their first step! What is the FINAL plan supposed to look like?"  
"Zzzzzz... Blop? (Um... Duckies?)"  
Metal Sonic questions dumbfoundedly.  
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!! Do you even know what the final plan is made of?" I demand angrily.  
"...Blop blep blop blep boop blop beep? (...Lots and lots of toilet paper?)"  
"Alright, you've lost yourself, Metal Sonic! You need to go to Dr. Eggman for repair!" I state.  
"Um, Bowser Jr.," Kamek nudges me, "you left all that goop where it is... Don't you think others will think you're trying to pollute the whole entire rainforest?"  
"Oh, I don't really care," I assure, "but that sure would be fun!"  
"Hey! Kiki! Quit your distractions and get back on the trail!" a familiar lady-like voice calls out.  
"Hey, look! It must smell Bowser Jr.!" another familiar Italian-like voice hollers.  
"Crud, Mario that pest!" I scream, "When will he ever give up???!!!"  
Suddenly, I spot a hot, glamorous, purple cat in high heels, a purple jacket, and feathers atop her forehead. Oh, I've like that hot cat since 2010...  
"BLAZE!!!!!!!!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bowser Jr.


	22. Bowser Jr.'s Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 1/3/16: Grammar and typo edits

Right now, Luigi, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Blaze the Cat, Silver the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Rouge the Bat, and I have been following a scent trail made up of Pumpkin's scent. Rouge has been using one of Eggman's Kiki-bots as a guide through the trail since it clearly recognizes the scent. We've been following it for a while... I wonder how Sonic and Shadow are doing with that giant wolf robot Eggman made?  
"Birdo birdo biiiiirdo... (This scent trail seems to go on forever!)" Birdo moans.  
"Aw, come on, Birdo!" Princess Daisy encourages, nudging Birdo along.  
"Mario! What do you think all this colorful goop is here for?" asks Rouge as we walk under a canopy of colorful goop dripping from the surrounding trees.  
As I look around to examine the paint goop, it looks like I've encountered this exact same kind before at another island... Oh no. I know what it is now.  
"Bowser Junior!" I exclaim, rushing further into the canopy path of the paint.  
"Mario! Wait up!" my brother Luigi calls, but I don't listen.  
Once I come to a stopping point, the rest of the team catches up with me.  
"What about Bowser Jr., Mario?" asks Luigi.  
I point at a huge pile of graffiti.  
"You mean... Bowser Jr. created that mess with his Magic Paintbrush?"  
I nod.  
"Wario will clean it all up!" Wario interrupts.  
"Nah! Waluigi will clean it up!" Waluigi fights back.  
"No, Wario, Waluigi-" I try to put and end to it, but the two ignore me.  
Rouge sighs. "Why does I always have to fix them?" she mumbles.  
The bat throws a bomb in between Wario and Waluigi, giving both smoke-black faces.  
"Will you two just shut up?! Now's no time to be greedy. You better behave yourselves and know that all of us here are working together!" Rouge fusses.  
"Why us? Wario started it!" Waluigi points.  
"Wa! Wario didn't start it! Waluigi did!" Wario points back.  
Rouge gives an angry growl and throws another bomb at the two.  
"KNOCK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Rouge screams, making fists with both of her paws. "Do you guys want riches or not?!"  
Wario and Waluigi look at each other and sigh.  
"Fine," states Wario.  
"Sorry for the interruption, Mario," Rouge apologizes, brushing dust off her shoulders. "Now, what about Bowser Jr.'s toxic paint goop? Are you saying he might be trying to pollute the whole rainforest?"  
I grunt and nod again.  
Out of nowhere, I hear a monotonous but somewhat familiar voice say, "Would anyone need of assistance?"  
I turn around to see a yellow backpack with a horn for a mouth and a screw for an eye.  
"F.L.U.D.D.!" I shout, elated. I missed him so much! He can clean up Bowser Jr.'s mess! He has before!  
"Flood?! Where???" panics Blaze as she slowly turns around, trying to spot a flood. Everyone else becomes suspicious as well.  
"No, Blaze, not flood, F.L.U.D.D," I explain.  
"I am F.L.U.D.D.- the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device," F.L.U.D.D. explains.  
"Oh. That makes more sense," the purple cat replies, scratching her scalp.  
"So... What can this thing do?" asks Rouge. "Can it cause a flood? That's basically its name."  
I nod again.  
"I have a Squirt Nozzle, Hover Nozzle, Rocket Nozzle, and a Turbo Nozzle," explains F.L.U.D.D. explains.  
"That's pretty cool," states Knuckles.  
"Ook! Ook ookie ook! (Hey! It can clean up the mess!)" Donkey Kong exclaims.  
I nod in agreement. Quickly, F.L.U.D.D. identifies every member of the team.  
Then I jump and shout, "Let's go!"  
Using F.L.U.D.D., I clean up the toxic paint while the rest of the team clear some obstacles.  
"What's that up there?" Luigi points up to the sky. When I look up, I spot a dark purplish speck out in the distance. As it gets closer, it appears to be an umbrella.  
"That could be Peach's umbrella!" Princess Daisy says.  
"Wasn't her umbrella yellow, though?" Luigi reassures.  
"Oh, it might be a replica of it or something," Daisy replies.  
"Yoshi yoshi y-y-YOSHI???!!! (What if it belongs to D-D-Dark Peach???!!!)" Yoshi stutters.  
"Ook ook ookie, ook! (Yoshi's right, Daisy!)" Diddy Kong squeals. "Ook ook ookie ook ooook?! (What if this is a trap set by Dark Peach?!)"  
"That umbrella is Dark Peach's AND Dark Amy's exact same color," Silver points out.  
"Well, um..." Daisy flinches, then says, "I'll be careful with it!"  
"Birdo! Birdo birdo! (Look! There's a note attached!)" Birdo exclaims.  
Daisy takes off the note and reads it out loud.  
"'Don't die now, ~Peach'. Hmph, maybe it is from the original Peach after all!" she recites.  
"Don't be stupid, Daisy, this is all a stupid trap!" snaps Rouge. "Don't just fall for it like that!"  
"Maybe Dark Peach doesn't want you to die now because SHE wants to kill you," Luigi hypothesizes.  
Daisy sighs while rolling her eyes.  
"As I said, Luigi, I'll be careful with it!"  
As the team strolls deeper into the rainforest, Rouge's Kiki suddenly tries to run out of Bowsay and Pumpkin's scent trail.  
"Hey! Kiki! Quit your distractions and get back on the trail!" Rouge screams, jerking the monkey-like Badnik by the tail.  
"Hey, look! It must smell Bowser Jr.!" I state. I point at Bowser Jr., who is alongside Metal Sonic and Kamek.  
"Crud, Mario that pest!" Bowser Jr. wails, "When will he ever give up???!!!"  
I roll my eyes. Never!  
"BLAZE!!!!!!!!!!" the Koopa Prince shouts, attempting to pounce at Blaze. Nobody really knows why, but somehow, Bowser Jr. has a crush on Blaze the Cat. I know, that's very odd...  
Blaze turns around, spotting Bowser Jr. about to jump on her. Then she makes a shocking face and quickly rolls over to the side, dodging him.  
As Bowser Jr. misses, he slides on his chin, swallowing some moss. As he spits the wet moss out, his eyes turn into hearts.  
"Oh, the love of my life!" Junior says as he kneels at Blaze's feet.  
"SHUT UP YOU DUMB-HEADED KOOPALING!!!!!!!" Blaze roars, kicking Junior in the face right before he could kiss her feet. Bowser Jr. flies through the air and crashes, almost becoming unconscious.  
"Nice one, Blaze," Silver compliments.  
"Thanks, Silver. I expected nothing less from that thing," replies Blaze, still keeping an eye out for Bowser Jr.  
As Bowser Jr. struggles trying to stand up, his eyes aren't hearts anymore.  
"Fine, I'll shut up for now," he stutters. "I have something important to tell you-"  
"-You want to marry me??? Because my answer is NO!!!!!!" Blaze roars.  
"No!" exclaims Junior. "Although that's true..." he mutters under his breath.  
"Jeep boop-bop bloop beep! (Jowser Bunior has encountered Park Deach!)" Metal Sonic explains.  
"It's Bowser Junior, and I encountered Dark Peach" Jr. corrects his robot friend.  
"You encountered Dark Peach... Then what was the graffiti for?" demands my brother.  
"Dark Peach told me that Bowsay could see me right now. I tried calling Bowsay's name, but she wouldn't answer, so I splattered all that graffiti just to try to get her attention, but still no response. Then, Dark Peach told me that she never lied, and she tried to kill me, but then Kamek intervened while I tried to fix Metal Sonic from one of her attacks. But, obviously, Metal Sonic hasn't been fixed successfully," Bowser Jr. states as Metal Sonic twirls around like a ballerina.  
Bowser Jr. then looks at Daisy's umbrella. His jaw drops and he says, "That's Dark Peach's umbrella! Daisy, do be careful with it!"  
"I know, Bowser Junio'! I ain't stupid!" Daisy yodels.  
The young Koopa Prince gasps and turns around.  
"Kamek? KAMEK!" As the Magikoopa flies over, Junior demands, "Did you defeat Dark Peach? ANSWER ME NOW!"  
"Well, uh, it's complicated..." Kamek looks away and shivers.  
"You mean she got AWAY???"  
Kamek slowly nods. Bowser Jr. must be furious.  
"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?????!!!!!" roars Bowser Jr., making fists with both of his paws and steam flying out of his nostrils. "If I were Daddy, YOU'D BE FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! F-I-R-E-"  
Before Junior could finish his spelling, Kamek sneers, "Don't blame me! She would've escaped even if that were YOU fighting her! You know Dark Peach is EXTREMELY powerful!"  
While watching this strange argument, F.L.U.D.D. (who is still on my back) informs me, "Mario! Dark Magic approaches from behind!"  
I turn around and see triangles, circles, and squares flying straight towards me. Similar to Kamek's magic, but there's some darkness in it... What if there's such thing as Dark Kamek?  
As I duck to dodge the spell, the spell directly hits Kamek, and Kamek turns into Dark Mist and fades away.  
"What was that?" Luigi wonders.  
I shrug.  
"It could've been Dark Magic," Bowser Jr. hypothesizes. "Well, Kamek deserved that, anyway."  
"Birdo... Birdo birdo birdo? (Um... Does anyone feel the ground shaking?)" Birdo points out.  
"Hey, I feel it too," Rouge says.  
Suddenly, everyone feels it. Then, a giant, alive, moving stalk with thorns dives out of the ground.  
"Argh... C'mon, you monster plant!" Silver shouts.  
The plant then reaches out and grabs Blaze by the waist, wrapping her arms next to her waist.  
"Blaze! No!" Silver complains. Out of nowhere, water starts covering Blaze's paws so she couldn't use her pyrokinesis.  
"Silver! Don't worry about me! Stop Bowser and Eggman and find Pumpkin first!" Blaze commands as the plant drags her into a Dark Portal.  
Silver tries to jump into the portal, but he is reflected and unable to enter.  
"Nooooooo!" roars Junior, "Blaze, honey, I'm coming!" Bowser Jr. dashes towards Blaze and jumps into the Dark Portal with her. Then, the Portal vanishes.  
"Yoshi yoshi... Yoshi! (This isn't good... Everyone's disappearing!)" Yoshi exclaims. "Yoshi, yoshi, yoshi, yoshi, yoshi, yoshi, yoshi! (First Pumpkin, then Bowsay, then Peach and Amy, then Kamek, then Blaze, then Bowser Jr.! Any of us could be next!)"  
"Well, we know that if Bowser Jr. and Kamek just disappeared, then neither Bowser nor Eggman could be behind this!" Rouge states.  
"Ook ook, ook? (Who could be behind this, though?)" Donkey Kong questions.  
"Definently whoever's behind all this Dark Peach and Dark Amy stuff," Knuckles exclaims.  
"But why... Why wasn't I allowed to enter the Dark Portal?" Silver questions.  
"Beats me," shrugs Rouge. Just then, Sonic and Shadow arrive.  
"What happened? What did we miss?" demands Sonic.  
The team explains to them what happened with Bowser Jr., Kamek, and Blaze.  
"Everyone's disappearin', and we don't know who coul' be next!" Princess Daisy wails.  
Just then, Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee arrive, along with Cream the Rabbit and Cheese the Chao.  
"Uh, Silver, what are you looking at?" Rouge asks, noticing Silver looking at something specific.  
"Shush, Rouge, I'm focusing!" the white hedgehog snaps. Still confused, the bat steps away.  
After a short pause, Silver lifts his paw and says "Gotcha!" He seems to be holding something invisible with his psychokinesis...  
"Alright, Silver, you got me this time!" says a deep voice. Then, the object Silver is holding turns visible into Espio the Chameleon.  
"Yeah, I've been practicing," Silver replies, letting Espio go.  
"We know what Bowser and Eggman's Master Plan really is. The Empire in the Center of the Universe is just one step," Vector explains. "There's gonna be a HUGE weapon that will burn the universe to flames, then Bowserland and Eggmanland will rise from the ashes." Vector also tells the team about Eggman using these aliens called Wisps, this monster called Dark Gaia, and these Flames of Disaster.  
When Vector finishes, my brother questions, "What is Bowser up to?"  
Espio faces me and demands, "Mario, have you heard about these Power Stars?"  
I nod.  
"What do they do?"  
"Their power is used as fuel for certain starships, and collecting over 120 can make the starship travel to the Center of the Universe!"  
"Have you also heard of these Shine Sprites?" Espio asks me.  
I nod again. "They protect and sustain Isle Delfino."  
"Bowser was also holding this scepter that had something to do with emotions..."  
"That's the Vibe Scepter, Espio," Daisy answers, stepping into the spotlight. "Peach tol' me all 'bout it. It can drive anyone's emotions wild up to a certain poin'. It's very powerful, and very few know how to use it properly."  
"Oh no," Sonic moans.  
"Sonic, what's the matter?" Charmy questions.  
"What if that Vibe Scepter makes Amy go all crazy for me? I couldn't imagine her crazier than she already is..." Sonic scratches his head.  
"She's not here right now. Don't even worry about that happening to her!" replies Knuckles.  
"Beep ba-deep! (Oh my gosh! This blue hedgehog looks just like me!)" says Metal Sonic, acting all stuck up.  
"Um... What's with Metal Sonic?" questions Sonic.  
"Ook ook ook! (Bowser Jr. told us that Dark Peach made him that way!)" exclaims Diddy Kong.  
"Well, I like him better that way!" says Cream, along with Cheese chanting in agreement, "That way he can't do anything evil!"  
"What is happening to the world these days?!" Shadow complains. "Is it just me, or is everything suddenly becoming so weird?!"  
"Calm down, Shadow. You're not the only one seeing this," Rouge hushes.  
She flies into the air and tells the whole team, "If any of us ends up being the last creature in the world, we'll fight like we always have!" A chorus of howls come from the team. Rouge then pulls out Kiki and shouts, "Kiki, lead the way!"  
I jump in the air and say, "Let's-a go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario


	23. Crisis City

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Ugh, that thud was really hard... Where am I? Am I in... Prison? No, there's no prison cells... This place seems to have been ruined a long time ago... Is this the past or the future or an alternate dimension or something? Where did Dark Amy go? And... What does she want with me?  
As I stand up, I notice Dark Peach and Dark Amy right in front of me. Oh no, time to panic!  
Wait a minute - they're making hushing gestures! Why are they hushing me?  
Oh - it's the REAL Princess Peach and Amy, and they're trapped inside these dark floating bubbles. It looks like they're trying to tell me something, but there isn't any sound coming out of them...  
Behind me I hear another thud. As I turn around, I see Bowser Jr. has been brought here as well.  
"Bowser Jr.?" I ask him, being careful what I say (because after all, he is a villain), "W-What are you doing here? Did Dark Peach bring you here?"  
"Not exactly," Bowser Jr. answers as he stands up, "but I had just encountered Dark Peach. she said my sister was gonna kill me, and then SHE tried to kill me!  
"Then, a giant plant grabbed Blaze and dragged her through a Dark Portal. I couldn't stand watching her leave, so I jumped in with her, and now I'm here!"  
"Blaze too? Gosh, that must be scary," I reply, realizing I was zoning out most of the time he was explaining. I turn around and realize we're on a high dry cliff, facing a city on fire.  
"Is this... Crisis City?" I wonder.  
"Crisis City? What's that place supposed to be?" Junior demands.  
I shoot the Koopa Prince a dirty look, point to the burning city, and inform him, "We're in the distant future!"  
"Hey - I see a portal at the end there!" Bowser Jr. points out.  
"I see it too," I agree, "but we're gonna have to face Crisis City's obstacles to get there. It's all the way on the other side! But... It could take us back to our own world and our own time!"  
"Ours? I don't think so, foxy. I don't travel with strangers!" Junior turns around, "Well, here I go!" Bowser Jr. exclaims, about to run off.  
"Junior, stop! You don't know what dangerous obstacles are out there!" I warn him.  
Bowser Jr. pauses and shoots a snotty look at me, saying, "So what??? I'm heir to the Royal Koopa throne! I can take care of myself!"  
"No, Bowser Jr.," I inform him back, "Crisis City is a lot more dangerous than it looks! You can't go alone! Trust me, I've been there before!"  
"You mean... By me not going alone, you want us two to work TOGETHER???!!!" roars Bowser Jr.  
I slowly nod my muzzle, "Yes. That would be our best luck of surviving here for now. But we need to save Peach and Amy-"  
"-You've got to joking, Tails!" Junior interrupts as steam blows out of his nostrils.  
"No, Bowser Jr., I'm just-!"  
"-If you think I can't handle this burning city all by myself, prove it!" Bowser Jr. points his Magic Paintbrush at me.  
"You mean... We're gonna fight?" I stutter. I've never actually seen Bowser Jr.'s fighting skills before. I mean, every time someone like Mario verses him, he's always been in a machine of some sorts...  
"That's right, Tails! If you win, we'll work together, but if I win, I'll continue on and let the flames burn you to ashes!"  
I want to say something back in protest, but that will just make Bowser Jr. angrier. I guess I have no choice.  
"I'll make sure I win!" I exclaim.  
Bowser Jr. shoots fireballs and splatters toxic graffiti with his Magic Brush. As I keep dodging them, I attack back with my Dummy Ring Bombs and my Tail Swipe.  
Finally, when Bowser Jr. is tired, he confesses, "Okay, Tails, I give up, you win, we'll work together..."  
"We need to save Peach and Amy first," I reply. I throw my Dummy Ring Bombs at Peach's dark bubble, then at Amy's, but neither of them pop. They're still trying to tell me something, but I wish I knew what they were saying...  
I try punching, kicking, and Tail Swiping the bubbles, but they still don't pop...  
Two small Dark Portals appear in midair. Out of one falls this weird Magikoopa I think called Kamek, and out of the other falls Blaze.  
The two stand up, breathing heavily, and make angry faces at each other. Kamek hops on his broomstick and charges towards the purple cat. Blaze screams and charges back. As they come close, Kamek is about to point his scepter at Blaze, but Blaze uses her wrist to block the scepter (kind of looks like a sword fight).  
"KAMEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Kamek backs away to see Bowser Jr. roaring at him.  
"YOU LEAVE BLAZE ALONE!!!!!!!!!!"  
"In case you haven't learned yet, your Annoyingness, Blaze is an enemy!" Kamek retorts.  
"And in case if you haven't learned yet, Bowser Jr.," growls Blaze, sauntering towards the immature Koopa Prince, "I AM NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Oh no! Blaze is delivering the final blow! I need to stop her!  
"Blaze! No!" I run in the way of the purple cat.  
"Tails? Get out of my way Tails! This is my mission!"  
"Absolutely not!"  
Blaze shoots me a shocking look.  
"What do you think you're doing, you fox?! Are you trying to join the Dark Side???"  
"Blaze, do you even know where we are?"  
Blaze pauses, then looks to her left and runs near the edge of the cliff.  
"Crisis City... The future..." she mutters under her breath. Then she turns back towards me and says, "What about it, Tails?"  
"We all need to work together to get to the Dark Portal located at the edge of the other side of the city," I inform Blaze.  
"I see..." Blaze agrees. Then she looks down and mumbles, "Wasn't Iblis sealed inside my soul? It accepted me as a vessel!"  
Shaking her head, Blaze looks back up at me and asks me, "How will we free Peach and Amy?"  
"I've tried everything I could," I inform the purple cat, "but their bubbles wouldn't pop!"  
"Who needs them?!" Kamek screams. "We gotta get outta this stupid future!"  
I then walk up to a cliff and look down, seeing lava and darkness.  
"This isn't just the Flames of Disaster," I point out, "but this is Dark Gaia as well."  
Long story short, Dark Gaia is an evil monster that lives in the center of the universe, and only Light Gaia can stop it. Light Gaia was once friends with Sonic (Sonic called him Chip), but then Light and Dark Gaia were sealed in the center of Earth.  
As I turn around, a small, white, floating creature with one eye, no mouth, no legs, antennae, and a blue strand of curly hair on its forehead appears. I've seen this thing before...  
"Yacker!" I exclaim. That's the White Wisp Sonic and I met when we once stopped Dr. Eggman in outer space.  
"Yacker? What kind of name is that?!" Bowser Jr. roars. Yacker makes noises, speaking his language, but none of us can understand.  
"Hold on," I inform the others, "my Miles Electric invention has a feature that can translate what Yacker is saying!"  
"So where is this Miles Electric?" Blaze asks, putting her paw on her hip.  
"Um..." Oh gosh. Now I remember I didn't bring it. Oh no, how are we gonna understand Yacker now?  
Yacker then makes a "Follow me!" gesture.  
"Well, if Yacker really wants to help us and get us back to our own timeline, we might as well follow him," I state.  
"But what about Peach and Amy? Aren't we gonna save them first?" Blaze reminds me, putting her other paw on my shoulder before I could take a single step.  
I stare back at Princess Peach, then at Amy, both making the hand gestures that mean "go along". Then I reply to Blaze, "Not now. If we don't know how to free them, then we can't waste any time trying until we find a way."  
"Who cares about Princess Peach and Amy?!" screams Bowser Jr. "Rescuing them won't make a difference in-!"  
"Maybe TAILS AND I care about them, you moron Koopa!" Blaze interrupts. "If you don't wanna get out of this future, you can stay put-!"  
"Blaze, it's okay," I say, "just ignore him. An argument won't get us anywhere."  
Blaze lets out a deep, heavy sigh.  
"Fine."  
Turning back towards Yacker, I command, "Yacker, lead the way!"  
As the Wisp leads us through the burning Crisis City, he leads us to an old ruined labratory.  
"This must have been Doctor Eggman's old secret base!" I state.  
"Do you think that this 'Miles Electric' of yours could be here, Tails?" asks Blaze.  
"Maybe," I reply.  
Behind us, Bowser Jr. is walking lousily, moaning, "Ugh, can we just hurry up and get out of here?"  
"If you keep up your moaning, Junior, then no we can't!" growls the purple cat.  
Giving up on telling Blaze to ignore him, I finally say, "Blaze is right. Enough with the complaining, Bowser Jr. Just because you've never been here before, doesn't mean you and Kamek can just sit back dilly-dallying. Blaze and I wanna get back to the present just as much as you and Kamek do, and we have to work together if we want to get back as soon as possible! So, are you in now?"  
The Koopa Prince and the Magikoopa look at each other, and Bowser Jr. says, "Okay. But only this time. Once we get back to the present, we'll be enemies again."  
"Agreed."  
As Yacker leads us farther through Eggman's ruined base, he points out a yellow, hand-held, electronic device partially buried into the floor.  
"My Miles Electric!"  
I rush towards my invention and pull it out of the floor.  
"Do you think it still works, Tails?" Princess Blaze asks.  
"I don't know... But I'm sure I can fix it!" I exclaim.  
I take out my fixing tools and fix up my Miles Electric. After a few fixes, the screen starts to turn on.  
As I select the "Translator" feature, I announce to the group, "Okay guys, the Miles Electric is only just starting to work again, so Yacker's translations may not be 100% accurate. It's also in binary code, so only I can read it."  
As I turn towards Yacker, I ask him, "How did you get sent to this future?"  
Yacker starts making noises, and words in binary code appear on my screen.  
"Okay... He says he was riding a fuzzy car, and a green-blue rat fed him to a shark."  
Yacker shakes his head.  
"Riding a fuzzy car? Fed to a shark? That's definently not 100% accurate!" states Kamek.  
I sigh.  
"I know. That's not the first time my Miles Electric has done that. Wait a minute - this might be more accurate!  
"Yacker says that he was hanging out with a Yellow Star, and a green cat and a blue cat pulled him through a Dark Portal!"  
"A green cat and a blue cat..." Blaze says to herself. Then she shakes her muzzle and asks Yacker, "What was this 'Yellow Star' like?"  
As Yacker makes more noises, I translate, "He says the Yellow Star drinks lots of Sprite!"  
Yacker shakes his head vigorously and repeats his sentence.  
"Oh wait, Yacker's saying that he was with a Yellow Star Sprite!"  
"A Yellow Star Sprite???????????" screams Kamek, "Like Chippy?????????"  
Yacker lets out a furious scream.  
"'No, that's not her name!'... But Yacker, what is her name?" I demand.  
As the White Wisp explains more, I read off my Miles Electric, "'Star Yellow... A crazy tortoise in a choo-choo train fed it a Kingdom-sized mushrooom!'"  
Yacker stays in midair and droops his head down. That was definently mis-translated.  
"A KINGDOM-SIZED MUSHROOM???" Bowser Jr. barks, "Don't you think that Yacker might mean the 'Mushroom Kingdom'?"  
"Hm... I don't know, maybe he does... Aha! This must be it. 'Star Yellow was captured by a crazy Magikoopa on a broomstick and said something about a Mushroom Kingdom, and took her through a Dark Portal!'"  
Princess Blaze turns around.  
"Kamek," she demands, "did you take this Star Yellow through a Dark Portal?"  
Kamek shakes his head, "No, I don't remember doing such a thing..."  
Turning back around towards Yacker, Blaze replies to the Magikoopa, "But you know, that is such a thing you WOULD do!"  
Kamek runs towards Yacker, followed by Bowser Jr., and asks, "What color was the robe?"  
"'Slurpee'... No, 'Pebble'... Oh! 'Purple'!" I translate.  
Kamek starts to back away.  
"Kamek, is something wrong?" interrupts Bowser. Jr.  
The Magikoopa stops.  
"Never mind that. Everything's fine. Let's get out of here!"  
"No," Blaze rejects, "This is Eggman's old base. We need to find data about how and when this disaster happened!"  
"Why can't Yacker tells us?" Bowser Jr. stomps, growing very impatient after all this time."  
"I told you, Bowser Jr., my Miles Electric isn't accurate 100% at translating, and we can't waste time here!" I growl, trying not to get mad as Blaze would've.  
"What's this?" I point out a huge, pink hammer half-buried in the floor, close to where my Miles Electric was. As I pull the hammer out, I immediately recognize it.  
"Amy's pink Piko Piko hammer!" I exclaim. "We better keep this safe until we free Amy and Princess Peach."  
As Yacker leads the four of us through the tall building, we finally end up in the Room of Records.  
"Let's see if I can work this computer..." I start pressing keys on the giant computer in the room. I keep going back to dates back in the present.  
"Oh no!"  
"What is it, Tails? Did you find the exact date?" asks Blaze.  
"Yes, I did. According to the records of this video, there was a solar eclipse, and just an exact week ago from here, Eggman broke apart the world to release Dark Gaia. And the Wisps... Their powers were completely drained, and they have no color..."  
When Yacker hears about the Wisp part, he starts to make a crying face. He flies over to Bowser Jr. and uses his ponytail as a tissue to blow his nose (although Wisps don't even have noses...).  
"Hey you thing! Why don't you sneeze on something else other than me?!" the Koopa Prince roars.  
Trying to get Yacker out of his hurt feelings, I interrupt, "Hey, um, Yacker, you can use one of my tails."  
Whew, enough with that... Now back to the records of the Day of Darkness... Oh right! There's been a solar eclipse, and exactly a week before was Eggman reawakening Dark Gaia, and the Wisps' colors have been drained...  
"Who's that? Is that... Shadow?"  
I press the "info" button to play the video of what happened.  
"No, that's not Shadow, that's Mephiles the Dark..." Blaze mutters. As the video goes on, Mephiles fires his bright, blinding Energy Spear, just like the one he almost killed Sonic with in the past (past from our timeline).  
"Why is Shadow so crystal-ish? And who is he killing?" questions Bowser Jr.  
"I told you, Junior, that's not Shadow," Blaze explains, "that's Mephiles the Dark. He absorbed Shadow's form and some of his powers, at first looking almost exactly like Shadow, but then he turned into that crystal form you see on that screen."  
"If the Mephiles thingy ABSORBED Shadow's form," Kamek questions, "then what is he REALLY?"  
"It would take a while to explain," I interrupt. "Let's get back to finding out what happened." I turn back towards the computer screen and rewind the Mephiles video. Here, this seems to take place in Soleanna, a beautiful City of Water, and there is a beautiful sunlight, and who knows what could go wrong? But...  
Dr. Eggman arrives in his Egg Mobile, holding out some gun.  
"I gotcha now, little fox!" he announces. Wait - What little fox? Is Eggman talking about who I think he's talking about?  
"You think you got me this time, Doctor?" says a deep, dark, teenage-ish, female voice. Immediately I recognize it. Pumpkin!  
"Yes, I do, Pumpkin! And now, your powers are mine!"  
Everyone in the room looks at each other. Yacker makes a tiny whimper, probably asking, "Who's Pumpkin?" but I shush him.  
"Hohohohoho!" Eggman pulls the trigger on his invention, sucking up Pumpkin's power - wait, is it working? What's happening?  
"What?! No! Why can't I steal Iblis?!" the mad scientist complains.  
"I tell you now, Doctor," my twin sister explains, "you are too late to take my power." Pumpkin's eyes turn from very black to bright red. "Iblis and Chaos have given me enough energy."  
Iblis? Chaos? Those fiery and watery monsters took over my sister? NO!!!!!  
Pumpkin gives an evil smile and recites, "And thanks to Iblis and Chaos for me, Bowsay and I are the two most powerful things alive, and NO ONE CAN STOP US!"  
Pumpkin then waves her paw slowly, and Eggman's Egg Carrier explodes, leaving a shower of debris.  
"No... No..." I mutter, trying not to cry. How could Pumpkin do such a thing? What has happened to her? When could she blow up airships? That's definently not the Pumpkin I know!  
In the middle of the destruction, a Dark Portal appears. Yup, that's Mephiles all right.  
"Very good, Pumpkin! Very good!" Mephiles congratulates.  
"Mephiles! What are you doing here?! Why are you in my way?!" my sister demands.  
Mephiles chuckles.  
"You've been a fantastic apprentice, Pumpkin," he states, "and you have used your gift very well."  
"Why does that matter to you???!!!" Pumpkin roars, "Bowsay and I are the strongest, most powerful things alive! We have all the power in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
"And that means, Mephiles," Pumpkin continues, "that I don't need a junky master like YOU!!!!!!!!!!" My older twin sister shoots a humongous bolt of blue fire, the largest bolt of blue fire I have ever seen, right at the dark hedgehog. I close my eyes at this part. I really want to stop the video now, but we need to keep collecting information.  
Somehow, probably due to his immortality, Mephiles the Dark survives Pumpkin's fire attack.  
"Impressive, Pumpkin! Very impressive!" Mephiles slowly saunters towards my sister.  
Raising his paw, Mephiles recites, "But you see, Little Miss Pumpkin, I am immortal, I have lived longer than you, so I know more than you, and I am stronger than you. But, if you stay with me, then you, Bowsay, and I can be the strongest things alive - TOGETHER!"  
"What about Fawful?" Pumpkin demands.  
As Pumpkin says "Fawful", Kamek silently gasps. Whoever this Fawful is, he/she (probably he) must be an enemy of both Mario and Bowser, as Mephiles was an enemy to both us and Eggman.  
"Fawful is a pain," the dark hedgehog answers, ticked off. "All he talks about is food."  
"I'm not gonna let you hijack me again, Mephiles, you jerk! You only want the whole world to yourself! And my name is not 'Little Miss Pumpkin', it's just PUMPKIN!!!!!" announces my sister. I'm thankful that she's not under Mephiles the Dark's control anymore, but... I think she now wants the whole world to herself and Bowsay!  
"I have experienced your power, and therefore, I know exactly how to deal with them. Your powers may be dark, Mephiles the Dark, but they are not dark enough to defeat me any longer!" Pumpkin then starts cackling.  
With the camera only on him, Mephiles looks up. The camera shows the moon approaching the sun. As the moon completely approaches the sun, the sky turns pitch-black, and bright rays shine from the moon. That's a solar eclipse!  
With the camera back on Mephiles, he mumbles, "You think you've outgrown me, Pumpkin, but I say to you now, you still have much to learn!"  
And he fires his bright, blinding energy spear.  
The image wasn't on the large computer screen, but it was in my head. The Energy Spear shoots straight through my sister's stomach. He did it. He killed Pumpkin. The same way he once killed Sonic (but not completely). He killed my very own twin sister whom I loved very much. I start sniffling.  
"Now, Chaos Emeralds, it is time for a new Era of Darkness to begin!" The pure blue water of Chaos flows out of Pumpkin and releases the seven Chaos Emeralds. The Chaos Emeralds then encircle Mephiles. At that point, the big computer screen goes black.  
I start to sniffle some more, but I try not to cry. Blaze then says, "Aw, Tails!"  
I rush over to Blaze and give her a hug.  
"So, we know what happened to Pumpkin," states Bowser Jr., "but what happened to Bowsay?"  
"Well, in the video, Pumpkin mentioned this person named Fawful," Princess Blaze points out.  
"Fawful! Of course!" Kamek exclaims. "He's gonna kill Princess Bowsay Koopa!"  
"Now, Kamek, let's not hope that's true," interrupts Bowser Jr. with a worried look on his face.  
"What about the eclipse? What does it have to do with all that?" I point out.  
"Maybe, just maybe," Blaze hypothesizes, "The eclipse might have allowed Mephiles to steal Pumpkin's power at that time!"  
"But what happened to MY sister, Bowsay?" Bowser Jr. repeats.  
"Well, we found out what happened to Pumpkin at Eggman's ruined base..." I hypothesize, "but if we visit Bowser's ruined castle or any other ruined location in Mario's world, maybe we can find out what happened to Bowsay!"  
"Well, then, LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!!!!!" Bowser Jr. roars.  
As Bowser Jr., Kamek, Blaze, Yacker, and I race through Crisis City, we finally come to the Dark Portal.  
"Hold it right there!" shouts Blaze from behind.  
"What is it, Blaze?" I demand, looking back.  
"What? That wasn't me!" says Blaze.  
"If it wasn't you, Blaze, then who was it that just shouted 'Hold it right there'?"  
"It was I!" the voice shouts again. Then, giant ice shards fire at the four of us, but we all dodge them.  
"What was that?!" complains Bowser Jr.  
Then, a giant plant rises from the dirt and grabs Princess Blaze around her waist as though it were a monster plant.  
"Help!" cries Blaze, water around her paws, probably so she couldn't burn the plant.  
"Nooooo! Blaze, my love, come back to me!" The young Koopa Prince gets down on his knees.  
"Oh, wow, you like my sister!" says the voice. Wait - Sister? Is that one of Blaze's lost sisters?  
Behind the plant walks a green cat that looks just like Blaze.  
"So the plant that took Blaze through the portal... That was you!" says Bowser Jr.  
Out of the sky, another blue Blaze look-alike appears.  
"Yacker," I ask the Wisp, "are these two the 'green cat and blue cat' that took you to this future?"  
Yacker energetically nods.  
"Mist... And Holly..." Blaze mutters.  
"Mist, were you the one that saved Sonic from the flood of the Olympic Stadium?" she demands.  
Mist, the blue cat, nods and gives an evil smile.  
"Why?"  
"Because," Mist replies, "once our Master spreads Darkness around the world, he will kill every being alive, one by one, and he'll go for Sonic first. And so, I must reserve Sonic for him."  
"Who is this 'Master' of yours?"  
"Why does that matter to you?!" the green cat, Holly, roars. She makes a fist, and her plant squeezes Blaze tighter.  
"STOP IT!!!!!!!" Bowser Jr. screams.  
Holly shoots Junior a scornful look, but she makes her plant let go of her sister.  
"So you like Blaze, eh?" Mist smirks.  
"Yes," the Koopa Prince fights back, and you can't touch her!"  
After Blaze gets up, she raises her paw and lets out a huge burst of flame from her paw.  
"SHUT UP, BOWSER JR.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screams.  
"Aw, sissy Blaze, you mean Kitty!" Mist insults, "Can't you be nice to people who like you?"  
A long pause occurs.  
"Ahem," Mist clears her throat, "I think the only way to get out of here is for one of you to kill one another!"  
Blaze's face is in shock.  
"Mist... Holly..." she softly says, her eyes slightly watered. "What are you saying? Why... Why are you acting this way?"  
"I thought you said you hated that Bowser Jr. dude?" teases Holly.  
"Yes, Holly, I do, but us five here are working together, and we were told, 'If any of you are eliminated, you will all be eliminated at once'. And if I don't want myself or Tails here to be eliminated, neither Bowser Jr. nor Kamek should be either."  
A short pause occurs. Then, breaking the silence, Mist whispers to her sister, "Holly, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"Oh yes, Mist, I think I am," the green cat replies. Then, the two cats grin evilly and start giggling.  
"Mist, Holly, don't make me burn you!" Blaze commands.  
"Oh, we won't!" Mist hisses.  
Holly lifts her left paw, and a thorn plant rises from the dry dirt and grabs Blaze's left wrist.  
"Ah, Holly, what the- OW! STUPID THORNS!" Princess Blaze tries to pull the plant off her wrist, but the plant is too tight and too thorny. Then she tries to burn the plant, but somehow, the plant won't burn. I thought fire could easily burn plants?  
"Aha, Sissy Blaze, you think you can burn everything, every plant. But this - this a special plant that cannot be burnt, not even by you!" Holly explains.  
As Blaze struggles to free herself, Bowser Jr. breathes a fireball at the plant, yet the thorny plant still doesn't burn.  
"Your Stupidness," Blaze insults Junior, "will you please stay out of this and let me handle this?!"  
"Oh yes, your Prettiness," Bowser Jr. replies calmly.  
As Blaze roars in anger, Holly then raises her right paw, causing another thorny plant to rise from the ground, grabbing Bowser Jr.'s right wrist. Then, she folds her paws together and holds them in front of her, moving Blaze and Bowser Jr. together and causing them to hold hands... Wow, I feel very sorry for Blaze...  
Wait... There's a message on my Miles Electric...  
"No Yacker, we can't leave without Blaze. We're a team, so we'll stick together as a team!" I say. The White Wisp droops its head down. Yacker must be very impatient right now.  
Mist starts giggling. Condensing the humidity, she floats water in the air, and the water covers Blaze and Bowser Jr.'s paws. Then the blue cat blows, freezing the water into solid ice. After the ice is completely frozen, the thorny plants return to the earth.  
"Mrrrrrow, isn't this romantic?" she teases.  
"Now Mist, Holly, I'm not here to play around, this isn't funny!" the purple cat protests.  
Bowser Jr. is about to say a joyful statement, but right before a single word comes out of his mouth, Blaze slaps him in the face.  
Then, she tries to melt the ice with her pyrokinesis, just like she tried to burn the plant. However, the ice still remains 100% solid.  
"Oh I see romance right now!" Holly laughs, making a heart with her paws. She and Mist laugh very, very hard.  
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Blaze roars.  
Mist and Holly immediately turn silent.  
"Fine then, Blaze," says Mist, "if this is how you treat your so-called 'beloved sisters', you and your precious 'boyfriend' are gonna have to fight us!"  
"Oh, this is sooooo lovely! You two will have to fight holding hands!" Holly sticks her tongue out.  
"He isn't precious!" mumbles Blaze. Then she looks back and growls to herself, "Stupid ice!"  
Then a giant ice shield surrounds the four, sending me and Kamek flying back-"AAAAH!!!!!  
"Ugh... Alright, what do we do now?" I demand.  
"How should I know?! I'm not a wise know-it-all!" Kamek screams back.  
"Sheesh, Kamek, calm down!" I complain.  
As I stare at the huge black portal, I'm starting to wonder where we will be when we enter it... Maybe if I hold up my Miles Electric at the angle of the portal, I could get some details.  
Aha! Okay, here on my screen I see a pink castle and a ripped pink Bowser Jr. Flag, and I see blue and black fire all around the houses. These houses have mushroom thingies as the roofs.  
"Mushroom Kingdom?????!!!!! Are you serious?????!!!!!" screams Kamek.  
"So Yacker," I demand, "this is where the purple-robed Magikoopa took the 'Star Yellow' friend of yours?"  
The Wisp nods.  
As soon as Yacker nods, the giant shield of ice explodes into little bits and pieces of ice shards.  
"You haven't seen the last of us!" Mist and Holly announce in unison. Then, they create a tornado of water and plants. As soon as it quickly disappears, they disappear as well. Then, the ice bonding Blaze and Bowser Jr. melts.  
"Thank goodness that ice has melted!" Blaze sighs. "The only thing is, how are Mist and Holly still alive? I thought they died a long time ago here in the future?"  
"I really don't know, Blaze. But at least we'll finally be out of Crisis City once we step through this Portal... Uh, Blaze? What are you looking at?" I explain, but now I realize she is getting a little sidetracked.  
"Tails, look at this!" the purple cat rushes over to a row of these gravestones.  
"Whoa... Is this a graveyard or something?" Bowser Jr. questions.  
"Oh no... No no no..." I walk up to a gravestone and read the name.  
"Here lies Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing that ever was alive. Just a hedgehog who loved adventure."  
"Sonic's dead. He's really dead. He's gone forever."  
"Now Tails," Princess Blaze cheers up, "this is only the future. Perhaps 1,000 years or more. Sonic would be dead anyway. He still exists in our time."  
As I move away from Sonic's grave, I find another gravestone right beside it.  
"Oh no... Oh no no no... Oh no no no no no..."  
"We get your point, Tails!" Kamek rudely interrupts.  
Ignoring the Magikoopa, I continue, "That's... That's... me. That's my grave. I'm dead too."  
"Of course you are, Tails!" Bowser Jr. roars impatiently. "Remember what my girlfriend-"  
"JUNIOR!!!!!!!!!!"  
"-Sorry, remember what Blaze said? This is a very distant time in the future, so you would be dead anyway. You can't live forever, you know."  
"Good point, Jr." As I read the engraving on my gravestone, it says, "Here lies Miles 'Tails' Prower, a two-tailed fox who loved machines, and Sonic the Hedgehog's best friend."  
As I maze through the graveyard, I find more familiar names.  
"Here lies Knuckles the Echidna, a brave echidna who always loved independence and working with Sonic the Hedgehog."  
"Here lies Amy Rose, the toughest cookie around, and Sonic the Hedgehog's biggest fan."  
"Here lies Rouge the Bat, G.U.N.'s top agent and the world's top jewel hunter, especially for the Chaos Emeralds. A friend of Sonic the Hedgehog."  
"Here lies Vector the Crocodile, leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency. A friend of Sonic the Hedgehog."  
"Here lies Princess Blaze the Cat, a princess from another dimension. Silver and Sonic the Hedgehog are two of her closest friends."  
"Here lies Silver the Hedgehog, a hedgehog who came from the future to try to save his world. Princess Blaze the Cat was his best friend. One of Sonic the Hedgehog's companions."  
"Here lies Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, and another of G.U.N.'s top agents. Ally of Sonic the Hedgehog."  
Huh, that's weird. I thought Shadow couldn't die? I thought he was immortal?  
Wait a minute... Is that... Metal Sonic? That's all his parts in front of that gravestone!  
"Here lies Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, a genius scientist and super villain. However, even with an IQ of 300, he could never seem to defeat Sonic the Hedgehog."  
Wow. Even Eggman's dead. That has to mean he's not behind all this evil Pumpkin stuff. Mephiles must be behind all that. So we have four problems; Bowser and Eggman, Dark Peach and Dark Amy, Mist and Holly, Mephiles, and that Fawful dude that was mentioned (never mind, that's FIVE problems!).  
"Ow, Yacker, what're you-" Yacker tugs on my ear to get my attention.  
"Ready to go through the Portal?" asks Blaze.  
"Uh... Yes, I'm ready. Let's go."  
Yacker flies through the Dark Portal first, then Blaze, then Kamek, then Bowser Jr.  
I hesitate. As I stare at the grave stones, I realized they are arranged a certain way. They must be arranged to spell a word.  
Oh no. They spell "Dark". That must mean no one else other than Mephiles the Dark could've murdered them. All of them. Especially Sonic. (I notice his name is mentioned on every gravestone.)  
No, no, Tails, stop thinking that. This is only the future, you can change the past...  
Enough with that. I need to fulfill my promise to Bowser Jr. to find information about Bowsay.  
Sighing, I jump into the Dark Portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Tails


	24. What Happened to Bowser Jr.?

Twirly twirly! I'm a ballerina!  
Hula hula! I'm a hula dancer!  
Tapety tap tap! I'm a tap dancer!  
Oh look at me! I'm so beautiful! I'm a fashion star!  
No one can mess with me! It is I, Metal Sonic!  
Ew, who is that fat man in that flying mobile thingy? He's wearing these ugly goggles and is so bald! That is, like, soooooo cliché!  
Oh no! That bald man is NOT gonna walk on my territory!  
Ack! What's happening?????!!!!! HE'S DOING SURGERY ON ME!!!!!!!!!!  
• • • • •  
Whoa... What happened? Did Dark Peach take me to... A random place?  
"Metal Sonic, do you hear me? It is I, Dr. Eggman speaking!"  
"Boooop... Bleep bop beep? (Ugh... Where am I?)" I wonder.  
"I knew it. You need some time to recover," Eggman says.  
"Beep? Boop? (Recover? From what?)" I demand.  
"From whatever caused you your amnesia," Eggman answers.  
"Bloop... Beep? (You mean... I can't remember anything?)"  
"I'm afraid so, Metal Sonic. But worry not, because I've fixed you enough so that once you're fully recovered from your amnesia, you can explain to me whatever happened."  
"Beep? (I can?)"  
"Well, you can mimic others, right?"  
"Boop... (Right...)" I have no idea why I can't remember anything, but I can mimic, so I may be learning things myself...  
"Metal Sonic," commands Dr. Eggman, "come with me while I go check and see how Bowser is doing."  
Okay. It seems that Dr. Eggman found me and took me back to the hideout.  
As I arrive with Dr. Eggman at Bowser's Test Room (where he tests his traps), Bowser is working on some decoy "!" switch.  
"Alright, Hammer Bro, hit the switch!" Bowser commands one of his minions.  
"Yes sir!" says Hammer Bro as he jumps on the "!" switch.  
As a result, the floor below Bowser starts shaking, then it disappears, causing Bowser to fall into the lava.  
"Oops, hehe, you must've done something wrong, Hammer Bro," comments Boomerang Bro, who was watching the whole time.  
"Hey, it's not about how I jump on it, but wherever the circuit leads to," replies Hammer Bro in an angry tone, "and apparently the circuit led to the floor below Lord Bowser! It was supposed to lead to the floor below me!"  
"Well geez Louise, don't blame me!"  
"Well in case you forgot, Boomerang Bro, my name is not Louise, and you're the one who mapped this whole '!' switch thing out, so you at least have to make it clear for the regular Koopatroopas to build!"  
"Hey, it's not that I'm confusing, but that the Koopas are dumb!"  
"THAT IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A loud clanking sound, sounding somewhat like Bowser, interrupts.  
Hammer Bro and Boomerang Bro both freeze immediately and turn towards the bony Dry Bowser.  
"Greatest apologies, your majesty," Boomerang Bro apologizes, bowing.  
"Will you stop with all that 'sophistication'?" complains Hammer Bro.  
"Shut up, Hammer Bro, you can't tell me what to do!"  
"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dry Bowser roars even louder.  
"S-sorry, Lord Bowser," Hammer Bro stutters.  
Dry Bowser snaps his fingers in the air and commands, "YELLOW MAGIKOOPA!"  
As Yellow Magikoopa poofs into the room, he is shocked of seeing Dry Bowser.  
"Y-Y-Your Majesty, w-w-what is it you want?" Yellow Magikoopa stutters.  
"Change me back to my original form!" roars Dry Bowser.  
"Y-Y-Yes, Lord Bowser!"  
Yellow Magikoopa circles around Dry Bowser, changing him back to his original form.  
"Master! Master Bowser!" Red Magikoopa comes running in Bowser's Test Room.  
"Red Magikoopa! Whadaya want now?!" growls Bowser.  
"It seems that Dr. Eggman would like to have a word with you!"  
"Ah, hello, Doctor, how're yeh - Metal Sonic? Where're Junior and Kamek?" the Koopa King freaks out.  
"It seems we both have the same question of their location, Bowser," agrees Eggman. "You see, I found Metal Sonic in the middle of the rainforest. It seemed he wasn't functioning right, because one second he was twirling like a ballerina, then he was doing the hula, then he was acting like a stuck up teenage girl."  
Whoa... Did Dark Peach really make me act like that?  
Dr. Eggman continues, "As soon as I brought Metal Sonic back to the hideout and examined him, it turned out his gears seemed to be misplaced. Now that I've put his gears in the right place, Metal Sonic doesn't seem to remember anything. But as soon as he recovers, Metal Sonic will be able to tell us what happened to Bowser Jr. and Kamek."  
"Oh good," Bowser sighs. "After losin' one child, it really hurts meh to lose anothur one."  
"I know how you feel, Bowser," Dr. Eggman tries to cheer up.  
Bowser makes an angry face. Oh no, Dr. Eggman must've gotten Bowser started again...  
"Listen here, Doctor, jus' 'cause yeh have an IQ of 300 and call yerself the 'world's greatest scientist', DOESN'T MEAN YEH KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE ANOTHER CHILD!!!!!!!!!" steam shoots out of the colossal Koopa's nostrils. "YEH'VE NEVER RAISED NO KIDS AT ALL, AND I'VE RAISED NINE!!!!! NINE I TELL YEH!!!!!!!!! DO YEH KNOW HOW MUCH TIME AND POWER I HAD TO GIVE UP JUS' TEH RAISE 'EM?????!!!!!"  
"Greatest apologies, Bowser, but I do not believe arguing will get us anywhere," Dr. Eggman points out.  
Bowser pauses, then calms down and says, "Yeh're right, Doc. Anyways, how long will it take fer Metal Sonic to fully recover?"  
Gosh. I forgot that this is all about me.  
"He probably won't be fully recovered until tomorrow morning. Until then, we must have some patience."  
"Alright, I guess we can wait," Bowser agrees.  
"Sorry to interrupt, Bowser. You may go back to your trap-testing now," Dr. Eggman apologizes.  
"Thanks, Doc, but I'm pretty much wrapped up anyway. It's gettin' late, doncha think? I need to send my Night Guards on duty, and I think you do as well."  
"You have a point there. See you in the morning."  
"G'night!"  
As Dr. Eggman escorts me back to my room, I'm getting really scared. I'm scared that I'll never see Bowser Jr. again. We've been best friends for so long! Hmm, where could he possibly be... What if Dark Peach captured him? Or... What if he ran away and never found his way back? Or maybe... What if Junior lost his memory as well and drifted off to a random place? What if... What if Dark Peach KILLED Bowser Jr.?! If that is true, I'm shutting myself down!  
The Next Morning  
"Metal Sonic? Metal Sonic, do you hear me? It is I, Dr. Eggman!"  
Ugh... Eggman? Oh, right, I have to mimic whatever happened to Bowser Jr. and Kamek.  
"Beep... Bleep boop bop (Dr. Eggman... I think I need more oil first)," I suggest.  
"More oil coming right up!" Eggman turns around and shouts, "ORBOT! CUBOT!"  
The orb-shaped robot and the cube-shaped robot both rush into the room.  
"Yes, Doctor, what is it?" asks Orbot.  
"Fetch Metal Sonic some oil!"  
"Alright, Doc, you got it!" Sonic's voice says.  
"Wha - SONIC???!!! How in the world did that hedgehog get in here???!!!" complains Eggman.  
"Sorry, Eggman, it was only me," Cubot says. Apparently, his voice is in "Sonic Mode".  
"Rrgh, Cubot, you KNOW that Sonic is my biggest Pet Peeve! Change your voice mode, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"But Eggman-"  
"NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"Y-Yes, Dr. Eggman," Cubot stutters, then races away.  
Orbot then double checks, "Excuse me, Doctor, what were the orders-?"  
"GET METAL SONIC'S OIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"Y-Yes, Doctor!" Orbot rolls away and comes back with an oil can.  
"Good," says Eggman. "This will reinforce Metal Sonic's memory." Dr. Eggman takes the oil can and pours it on me.  
"Uh, Doctor, a little 'Thank you' would be-"  
"GO BACK TO YOUR REGULAR DUTIES, ORBOT!!!!!!"  
Without saying another word, Orbot rolls out of the room.  
"Boooooop... (Aaaaaaaaah, much better...)" I state.  
"Good," agrees Eggman, "now we need to let Bowser see this."  
"Okay, Eggman, I'm here," Bowser pushes the doors open and runs into the room.  
"Perfect timing, Bowser," states Eggman. "Now Metal Sonic-"  
"Hold up a sec," interrupts Bowser, "I need to let the rest of my children see this." Bowser walks up to the giant computer screen and types certain coordinates. Then, a picture of the rest of Bowser's children appear on the screen.  
"Oh, hello Father!" the wide Koopaling with large, wild blue hair greets.  
"Ludwig von Koopa! Have you been watching the rest of the Koopalings since Kamek left?"  
"Yes, Father." Ludwig sighs. "And it's been very hard work."  
"That's my boy! But I think you ought to rest. GREEN MAGIKOOPA!!!!!!!!!!"  
Green Magikoopa flies into the room on his broomstick.  
"Y-Yes, Lord Bowser? What is it?"  
"Go watch the rest of my children!" growls Bowser.  
Green Magikoopa nods. Then, he poofs away and reappears on the screen.  
"D-Dad? When is Kamek coming back? And where's Junior? Isn't he with you?" says a skinnier Koopaling with almost the same wild blue hair.  
Bowser sighs. "Larry, kid, I really hate to say this to you and to all the Koopalings, but..."  
"What is it?! What happened?!" a female Koopaling (perhaps the only one) with a huge bow and huge golden bracelets wails.  
"Wendy O.! Calm yourself!" Ludwig orders.  
Bowser continues, "...What happened is... Bowser Jr. and Kamek have both gone missing."  
All six Koopalings gasp in shock. Hm, I always thought there were seven Koopalings.  
"Bowser Jr.? But how?" cries the smallest Koopaling with a rainbow mohawk.  
"Metal Sonic is about to show us, Lemmy," the Koopa King answers.  
"Now, Metal Sonic, do your stuff!" Dr. Eggman commands.  
As I stand up, I strike the pose I was in when I saw Dark Peach's comet. Then, I strike the pose Bowser Jr. was in when he thought I was crazy.  
"'Bleep bop boop?! (What was that?!)'" I mimic myself.  
"'What was what? Is there something that's NOT catchy about that song?'" I mimic Bowser Jr.  
"'Bleep blop-boop! Blop bleep boop! (No, there was a comet! A purplish-black one!)'"  
"What the heck is he saying?!" complains Wendy O. Koopa.  
"He's saying he saw a purplish-black comet in the sky," Ludwig translates.  
"How do you know, Mr. I-am-the-oldest-Koopaling-which-makes-me-the-smartest?!" Wendy sasses back.  
"Because he's right," Dr. Eggman answers. "Continue, Metal Sonic."  
Oh no, where was I... Oh yes!  
I find myself mimicking Kamek's laugh, then I pretend to wave an invisible wand. Then, I rush over to the other side of the room and find myself walking like Princess Peach.  
"'Aaaaaah, my br-...Prince Bowser Koopa Junior!'" I say. Wait, I'm not copying the original Peach, I'm copying Dark Peach! And somehow, I was about to call Bowser Jr. something that began with a "br"...  
I rush back over to Bowser Jr.'s spot and ask, "'What do you want from me, Dark Peach?'".  
Bowser and Eggman gasp.  
"Dark Peach - Could it have been the same Dark Peach figure that attacked our hideout?" Bowser wonders.  
"It could be possible. Perhaps the Dark Amy figure could've done something as well," Eggman hypothesizes.  
"'For the past and the future, YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!!!!!!'" I mimic Dark Peach.  
"'Why would you destroy me?!'" I mimic Junior.  
"'Your twin sister knows your exact location,'" I imitate Dark Peach in a hissing voice.  
Bowser and the Koopalings gasp and grin.  
"Bowsay... She's still alive?" exclaims a large, tough Koopaling with a pink head, purple shell, and red sunglasses.  
"Apparently she is, Roy!" Wendy O. sasses back.  
"You can't prove that, Wendy!" Roy growls.  
"Roy and Wendy O. Koopa! Quit your arguing and pay attention to Metal Sonic!" roars Bowser.  
Roy sighs. Wendy crosses her arms.  
"Yes, Daddy," they both say.  
Great now where was I? ...Aha!  
"'What's she up to now?'" I mimic Bowser Jr.  
Almost the whole entire story comes back to me after I imitate Dark Peach saying, "'She hates you, Bowser Jr., and whole entire Royal Koopa Line, and your family shall be destroyed!'"  
After I recite Dark Peach's words, all Bowser and the Koopalings' expressions change from happy to frightened.  
"B-Bowsay... Sh-She's... Out to get us?!" says a tall, thin Koopaling with glasses and green hair. "H-How could she have so much animosity in her heart and soul?! She never wanted to be a murderer!"  
"How should we know, Iggy?!" growls Wendy O.  
"Wendy O. Koopa! If you sass back at any of yer siblings one more time, I'll make Green Magikoopa seal yer mouth shut fer a month! Understand?!"  
Wendy sighs and rolls her eyes, "Yes, Daddy..."  
"That's my girl," Bowser turns from the giant screen back towards Metal Sonic. "Go on, Metal Sonic."  
Sheesh, Bowser needs to teach his children better! Won't they ever learn their manners?  
"'Beep blop bloop ba-deep! (Bowser Jr! Don't listen to her! She's lying!)'" I finally mimic myself again.  
"'SHUT UP YOU PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!!'" I scream as Dark Peach, holding up my paw similar to the way Dark Peach did when this really happened.  
Oh no, what happened to me? Is that when Dark Peach made me lose my memory?  
"'Leave my best friend alone, you bad woman, I won't let you take Metal Sonic away!'"  
"'Best friend? Metal Sonic? He's your best friend?'"  
Yes, Dark Peach, I am Bowser Jr.'s best friend, and you better not take him away if you do to me!  
"'Yeah - We've been friends since the Vancouver, Canada, Olympics!'" I shout as Junior. That's what friends do - they stand up for each other!  
Oh, I hate to mimic whatever Dark Peach is about to say...  
"'YOU'RE best friends with a ROBOT???!!! How STUPID is THAT???!!! Aaaahahahaha!'"  
How dare that witch make fun of Junior and I's friendship!  
"'Not stupid at all, actually,'" I mimic Bowser Jr. When it comes to friendship, man that Koopa Prince is a pretty good kid. I feel so proud to be his best friend!  
"'Tell me,'" I pretend to point an invisible paintbrush at an invisible Dark Peach, '"where's Bowsay?'"  
"'Ah yes, her,'" I copy Dark Peach, "'She is somewhere in the rainforest. In fact, she can see you right now!'"  
As I rush back to Bowser Jr.'s spot, I slowly rotate once around.  
On the huge computer screen with the Koopalings on it, a small brown Koopaling rushes into the screen.  
"Sorry I'm late! I was lost! My mind was crazy! I've gone-!"  
"MORTON!" Ludwig fusses, "Come on time next time! Now be quiet and listen!"  
"Yes, Ludwig..."  
"Pardon that interruption," Ludwig apologizes. "Continue, Metal Sonic."  
"'You must be joking,'" I mimic Bowser Jr.  
"'No, Bowser Jr, this is no joke. I never lie,'" I imitate Dark Peach.  
"'Then tell me - WHERE IS SHE???"  
"'She's about to kill you.'"  
Bowser and the Koopalings' faces fill up with more fear as I recite that last line of Dark Peach's.  
"'Bowsay? B-B-Bowsay??? Where are you?'" I turn around. Then I hesitate and say, "'Come out, come out, wherever you are, sis, b-but don't kill me... Or else... I'll paint you away with my Magic Paintbrush of Awesomeness! ...Bowsay, I'm serious! Show yourself!'"  
Oh no, what's gonna happen to Junior? Will he still live? Or will be be murdered by his own twin? I hate to mimic anything more now, but I still need to get the information to Bowser and Eggman, so I still have no choice...  
"'That's it. I guess I'm gonna have to do this the hard way,'" I mimic Junior. I jump in the air, still holding an invisible Magic Brush, and spin around in circles.  
As I rush back to Dark Peach's spot, I recite her last words I remember, '"You're next, Junior!'"  
Then, finally being myself again, I pretend to shut down.  
As I finally stand back up, I inform Dr. Eggman and Bowser, "Bleep bop boop deep (And that's all I can remember)."  
"Very well, Metal Sonic," Eggman compliments.  
"Metal Sonic," Bowser demands, "do you think Bowser Jr. is still alive?"  
"Beep ba-deep boop bleep (I seriously don't know, but of what I just re-learned about him, I think he is most likely dead. I'm sorry.)" I start to shed an tear after knowing of the possible loss of my best friend.  
"Now Metal Sonic, don't cry, you'll rust yourself!" Dr. Eggman picks up my oil can and squirts oil at my rust.  
Bowser starts to breathe heavily, trying not to cry. All the Koopalings start to cry, the youngest ones crying the loudest.  
"Father," Larry Koopa asks, "if Bowser Jr. is dead, then will I be the heir to he throne?"  
"Sorry, Larry boy," Bowser explains, "Boweser Jr. was just special, and I had to make him second-in-command. But if he is really dead, then Ludwig must be it now."  
"Aw..."  
"I don't care if I'm second-in-command or not," Ludwig complains, seeming to be the Koopaling crying the least, "I will still miss Bowser Jr. dearly because he was our brother!"  
"He's not dead yet," an evil, familiar, hissing voice calls out.  
As I turn around along with Bowser and Dr. Eggman, Dark Peach is standing at the door to the room.  
"Dark Peach! Yeh murdered my son!" Bowser roars and charges towards her.  
Dark Peach holds up her hand, pausing Bowser in place.  
"I just told you, Koopa King, Bowser Jr. is not dead yet," she repeats, dropping Bowser.  
"Ugh... W-Where is he? And where's Bowsay?" the Koopa King stutters.  
"So THAT'S the Dark Peach Metal Sonic was talking about!" exclaims Lemmy Koopa.  
Dark Peach does not answer Bowser's question.  
"Bleep bop doop, beep? (Well, you know, don't you?) Beepety beep boop bop ba-deep! (It seemed you were about to kill him before you made me lose my memory!)" I demand.  
"I was. However, I didn't. But I could've," she informs, "if it weren't for that stupid Magikoopa!"  
"Kamek?" Bowser lightly gasps.  
Ignoring Bowser, a Dark Portal appears in the room. Then, a similar one appears on the screen with the Koopalings.  
"Step through if you want to see him again," Dark Peach informs.  
As we look back on the screen, all the Koopalings have vanished.  
"Good luck, Bowser," Dr. Eggman says, "I will wait right here."  
"Are you sure you are making the right choice, Doctor?" another familiar voice calls out. Right beside Dark Peach appears a dark figure of Amy.  
"D-D-Dark Amy!" Eggman realizes.  
"If you're still searching for Pumpkin, you'll find her through this portal as well," Dark Amy explains, "unless you don't want to ever fulfill your Master Plan with Bowser."  
"Oh no!" Dr. Eggman exclaims, "We do want it! Right Bowser?"  
"Hmm..." Bowser puts his paw under his chin and asks, "If Pumpkin is there, then Bowsay must be there too, am I right?"  
"Yes," Dark Peach answers.  
"But they are much stronger than when they last were seen," Dark Amy continues, "and they have grown a strong aversion towards both of you. If you ever beg for repentance from either one of them, don't expect them to give it to you."  
Dr. Eggman and Bowser nod at each other.  
"We understand," declares Eggman.  
"Very well," Dark Peach says, "but once you step through, if you hurt yourself, there's no going back. Don't say we didn't warn you."  
Bowser and Dr. Eggman immediately step through the portal. I hesitate for a moment. What if Dark Amy and Dark Peach are trying to trick us? What if Bowser Jr. isn't really through that portal?  
"Something the matter, Metal Sonic?" Dark Amy teases.  
I shake my head.  
"Boop bop bloop beep!? (How do you know Bowser Jr. is through that Portal?!)" I demand.  
"Because we never lie," Dark Peach answers.  
"C'mon now, Metal Rat," Dark Amy insults, "it's now or never!"  
How dare that dark witch rat insult me!  
Well, if I really want to see my best friend again, I might as well try.  
Sighing, hoping I made the right choice, I jump through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Metal Sonic


	25. No One Gets Left Behind!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: 1/3/16: Grammar changes

"How close are we to Pumpkin now, Rouge?"  
"Just have patience, Sonic. We can't be too far now."  
"I've been trying to be patient for a long time! I can't take it anymore!"  
"Cool it, Sonic. As Rouge said, we can't be too far from Pumpkin right now."  
I sigh. "I know, Shadow. I just wish Tails would be there if we ever find his sister."  
So far, we have followed Pumpkin's scent trail for about two hours, and her scent still seems very faint. We're all getting tired, and Mario and Luigi both have extreme headaches.  
"Mario, what do we do?!" Luigi complains to his twin brother, "Our heads are aching!"  
"I don't know, bro," Mario replies, shrugging.  
"How about you take your hats off?!" Silver exasperates.  
"Good idea, Silver!" exclaims Luigi.  
The Mario Bros. both take their hats off, and out come these small fat star creatures... What are they called? Oh yeah - Lumas!  
"Young Master Luma!" exclaims Mario.  
"Hey Mario!" the Apricot Luma dances around. "I was getting so cramped up under your hat! Did you forget I was there?"  
Mario nods. "Sorry," he apologizes.  
"It's okay," replies Luigi's Yellow Luma.  
"So that's-a why Mario and I were experiencing bad headaches," states Luigi.  
Young Master Luma then flies over to me and suspiciously encircles me.  
"Who would you be?"  
I twirl and give a thumbs-up.  
"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!"  
"Don't-a worry, Luma, Sonic's a friend!" explains Mario. Mario and his brother then introduce their Lumas to the rest of my friends.  
"You seem to have a million friends, Sonic," Yellow Luma exaggerates.  
I sigh. "I know. That's a lot of friends to keep up with. But hey, you can never have too many!"  
"Well, guys, we can't stop here now," says Rouge. "We have to keep moving!"  
As Kiki continues to lead the team through the scent trail, we explain the whole story to the Lumas.  
"So you guys are trying to find Tails' twin sister, Pumpkin?" Yellow Luma double checks.  
We nod.  
"And Bowser's secret daughter, Bowsay, who is also Bowser Jr.'s twin, is with Pumpkin?" reassures Young Master Luma.  
We nod.  
"And Princess Peach, Amy, Tails, Blaze, Kamek, and Bowser Jr. were taken through these dark portals or by these mysterious figures of Princess Peach and Amy?" Young Master Luma double-checks.  
"Yoshi yoshi (That's exactly right)," answers Yoshi.  
"Mario!" says the robotic backpack thingy on Mario's back. "It seems that the fox scent leads to that cave over there!"  
"Ook ookie ook (I think F.L.U.D.D. is right, Mario)," agrees Donkey Kong. "Ook ook! (I smell it too!)"  
"M-Mr., Sonic," Cream the Rabbit stutters, "I'm scared of the dark!"  
"Don't worry, Cream," says Charmy Bee, "we'll all be right with you and Cheese!"  
"Um, Charmy, I don't know if we'll ALL be together," Vector points out.  
"Vector!" gasps Espio, "How could you say something like that?! Aren't you coming?"  
"'Course I am," the crocodile replies, "It just feels like someone's missing, that's all."  
"You know what, Vector," Knuckles steps in, "over the past few hours of searching, I've sorta had the same feeling!"  
"Ook ook! (Me too!)" agrees Diddy Kong.  
"How about we take a roll call?" suggests Rouge. "That will settle things.  
"When I call your name say 'here';"  
Rouge calls out most of the team members, finally down to the final two.  
"Wario and Waluigi!"  
No response.  
"Wario! Waluigi!"  
Again there is silence.  
"I'm serious, you two! I don't have time for your games!"  
Still no response.  
"It appears they're the missing ones Vector was talking about," states Shadow.  
"It does," agrees Rouge.  
"Where coul' they 'ave gone?" wonders Daisy.  
"Birdo birdo!" Birdo hypothesizes. "Birdo, birdo-?"  
"Birdo! Yoshi yoshi yoshi!" replies Yoshi angrily.  
"Um, Mario, what are Yoshi and Birdo saying?" I ask. Although I'm getting better at it, I can't understand Yoshi and Birdo language as well as Mario can.  
"Birdo thinks Wario and Waluigi are on a treasure hunt, and doesn't want them back. Yoshi, however, disagrees and believes they could be useful sometime during the adventure."  
"Well, if that's what Yoshi said, he's right," agrees Silver. "We should never leave anyone behind!"  
"I thought I told those bozos that there's no time for treasure hunting?!" Rouge complains.  
"Calm down, Rouge," Princess Daisy tries to ameliorate the angry bat. "Why do you call 'em 'bozos', anyway?"  
"Well 'cause they are," she answers angrily. "I know they love treasure just as much as I do, but now's no time for a treasure hunt, especially since we're all trying to save our own lives! And they just need to understand that!  
"Kiki, if you smell two bozos named Wario and Waluigi, lead us straight to them!" Rouge commands.  
The monkey-like robot sniffs around, then dashes straight behind the cave.  
"Ack! Kiki, not so fast!" Rouge complains, trying to keep a good grip on the robot's tail. Immediately it slows down.  
"So why exactly woul' Wario 'n Waluigi jus' abandon us like tha'?" Princess Daisy wonders.  
"Ook ookie ook?! (What if they were sucked into a Dark Portal as well?!)" Donkey Kong guesses.  
"Now Donkey Kong, let's hope that's not true," Knuckles convinces the giant ape.  
"It looks like we're gonna have to go deeper into the rainforest," Espio states.  
"Um, Miss Rouge, is it okay if I stay here while the rest of you search for Wario and Waluigi?" Cream begs. Cheese murmurs in agreement.  
"But we shouldn't leave anyone behind!" Rouge replies.  
"Ook ook ook (I can make sure nothing bad happens to Cream and Cheese)," Donkey Kong promises.  
"Aw, Mr. Donkey Kong, that's so nice of you!" Cream appreciates.  
"No, Donkey Kong, we might need you and Diddy Kong both in case we need you to climb up or swing somewhere that no one can reach! Knuckles, you stay with Cream and Cheese!"  
"Rouge, do you realize I have two spikes on my knuckles?! I CAN CLIMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Knuckles points out.  
"And Rouge, you can fly," Shadow states.  
"Be quiet, Shadow!" Knuckles shushes, making sure Rouge didn't hear what Shadow just said.  
"I heard that! I see how this is, you echidna!" Rouge says furiously. Oh great, another quarrel between Knuckles and Rouge. Apparently Rouge didn't want to leave Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong behind because she wanted to leave Knuckles behind. Every time, though..,  
"Hear what? What are you talking about?" Knuckles tries to act like he didn't know what just happened.  
"You know what I'm talking about!" the angry bat sneers. "You're just trying to get all the attention and leave me out of everything!"  
"Am not!" the red echidna retorts.  
"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME!" Rouge screams, flying towards Knuckles, charging at him.  
"YOU'LL REGRET THIS, BAT-GIRL!" Knuckles roars back charging at Rouge in attempt to punch her.  
Just as Knuckles and Rouge are about an inch apart, they freeze in midair.  
We all look back and see Silver holding both of his paws up.  
"Thanks, Silver," Shadow acknowledges. "You can drop them now."  
The white hedgehog nods, spreading his arms apart to separate Knuckles and Rouge. He then relaxes his arms, dropping them.  
"Ugh... What was that for Silver?" Rouge complains, struggling to get up.  
"You need rest, Rouge," Silver states.  
"Silver's right," agrees Shadow, "you've been worn out leading the team. You stay with Cream and Cheese. I'll take Kiki."  
The tired bat sighs.  
"Okay," she declares. Then, she shoots Knuckles a dirty look.  
"But we're still not finished, Knuckles!"  
"Don't think I'll forget, Rouge," the red echidna growls.  
Man, Knuckles and Rouge just never stop fighting...  
Vector breaks the silence, "I think it's a good idea if I stay behind with Cream and Cheese, too. It's best if they have someone big and strong to protect them. Donkey Kong is pretty strong too, but, as Rouge said, you guys will need both him and Diddy Kong for swinging vines."  
"But Vector," cries Charmy, "no one's getting left behind!"  
"Charmy, calm down," says Espio. "We're coming back to them once we find Wario and Waluigi. Plus, if they see anything suspicious, they can tell us, or if we need extra help, we can contact them through our devices. There are plenty of advantages."  
Charmy sighs. "Okay, Espio. Be safe, Vector."  
The large crocodile smiles. "Don't worry Charmy, I will, and so will Cream, Cheese, and Rouge."  
"Yoshi yoshi! (Stop talking! We have to get moving!)" Yoshi complains.  
"Yoshi's right," Luigi agrees. His twin brother nods.  
"Let's-a go!" exclaims Mario.  
"Alright, Kiki," Shadow commands, still holding Kiki by the tail, "lead us to Wario and Waluigi!"  
The monkey-like robot sniffs around, then starts running in a direction that would lead us deeper into the rainforest. We all follow.  
After few more hours of searching and following, Diddy Kong trips.  
"Ooooo... Ah ah... (Ow... That hurt...)" the monkey softly complains.  
Donkey Kong assists his nephew up.  
"Ook ook ook? (What was that you tripped over?)" the giant ape questions.  
"Ook ook ookie... (I don't know...)" Diddy Kong replies, "Ook ookie!"  
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I can't understand monkey language as well as Mario and his friends can, just like I can't completely understand Yoshi (although I can understand Yoshi better because I've known him longer than Donkey Kong).  
"Ookie?" Donkey Kong wonders.  
"Diddy Kong, are yeh sayin' yeh tripped oveh' somthin' shiny?" Princess Daisy asks.  
Diddy Kong nods his head vigorously.  
"Wait - Shiny?" Shadow questions. Still holding the Kiki-bot, the black hedgehog rushes over to where Diddy Kong tripped. Shadow touches the shiny object and mutters, "Chaos Control!"  
All of a sudden, Diddy Kong's actions rewind. Donkey Kong puts him down on his belly, then he rises up to his four legs, and starts running backwards.  
"Chaos Control!"  
The little monkey starts running forward again. Before he trips, though, Shadow intervenes.  
"Ook, ook-? (Shadow, why are you-?)"  
"Cool it, Diddy. You're about to trip over a Chaos Emerald," Shadow explains.  
Diddy Kong makes a confused expression.  
"Knuckles, can you dig this Emerald out?" Shadow asks.  
The red echidna nods. He digs for the Chaos Emerald, then pulls it out.  
"Well, this can be helpful," Knuckles points out as he tosses it to Shadow.  
"Affirmative," the black hedgehog agrees.  
As we keep following Kiki, the team comes across a huge, colossal, gigantic, ancient temple. I'm positive I've seen this temple before... No, that can't be possible!  
"Is this... A Gaia Temple?" I question. "Hey Tails, can you use your Miles Electric to see what's in that-?"  
"Sonic!" Silver interrupts, "Tails isn't here!"  
Oh, that's right. Tails got taken by Dark Amy. Dark Amy will regret stealing my best buddy once I-  
"Sonic!" Mario interrupts my thoughts, pointing directly ahead.  
"Mario! What's going on-?" I question, until I look to where Mario is pointing. Oh no, not those three feathered-rivals again...  
"Well well, Sonic, it's been a long time hasn't it?" says a green hawk with blue eyes and a yellow beak.  
"Yes it has, Jet," I reply. "What are you and the other Babylon Rogues doing here, anyway?"  
"We want the Chaos Emeralds so we can discover the REAL secret to my past!" Jet declares.  
"Don't you already know what your ancestors are, though? Aren't they, like, genies or aliens or something like that?"  
"Maybe, maybe not!" Jet squawks.  
The pinkish-purple swallow, Wave, struts towards Mario.  
"Who's this little twerp?" she demands in a bratty tone.  
Pretending that Wave didn't just insult him, Mario answers for me, "It's-a me, Mario!"  
"Ha! What kind of name is THAT?! MARIO?! AHAHAHAHA!!!" Wave cackles.  
"Oh no, b-b-boss! It's that r-r-red echidna that b-b-beat me!" complains the big fat grey albatross, Storm.  
"And you want me to beat you AGAIN?!" Knuckles threatens.  
"N-n-no, I d-d-don't-"  
"Calm down, Storm," says Jet. Then he says to me, "It seems you don't have any Extreme Gear with you, Sonic. Now, hand over the Chaos Emerald!"  
"Why do I need Extreme Gear?" I demand.  
"Well, I was gonna race you to win that Emerald, but you don't have any Extreme Gear with you. That means I automatically win!" Jet brags.  
"Listen up, Jet, we're on an important mission to save the world, and we really need the Chaos Emeralds. Maybe we can race later."  
"There won't be a later for you unless you give me the Chaos Emerald!" the green hawk caws.  
"Jet, listen to me!" I demand. "I don't know when, but sometime soon Dr. Eggman is gonna awaken this giant monster called Dark Gaia from the center of the Earth, which will break Earth into seven pieces. Only the seven Gaia Temples, one on each continent - see that one over there? - can hold the planet together, and the temples are powered by the Chaos Emeralds. That's why we need this Chaos Emerald!"  
Wave laughs. "We already know that!"  
Jet continues for her, "Dr. Eggman promised us that once he and this giant turtle monster dude-"  
"His name's Bowser," Daisy interrupts.  
"Oh whatever!" Jet says in a frustrated tone. "Anyways, Eggman promised us that once he and Bowser rule the universe, he would grant us any wish! And MY wish is to discover my true past!"  
Jet walks closer to me.  
"But Dr. Eggman said he would only grant my wish if I followed his orders, and his orders to the Babylon Rogues were to prevent any intruders from entering this temple - especially intruders like YOU, Sonic!"  
I laugh. "Are you CRAZY, Jet?! His name is Dr. EGGman, not Dr. GENIEman! If HE rules the universe, he'll do anything only for himself, no one else! You can't just fall for his false promises like that!"  
"Well what if it WASN'T a false promise?! What if he was telling the truth?!"  
"Don't just assume that"  
Man, Jet is so stupid to be gullible like that!  
For a few minutes Jet and I are in an argument. Then, I hear Knuckles yell,  
"Sonic! Catch!"  
Wait - Catch? Catch what?  
Knuckles throws me a skateboard.  
Wait a minute - this isn't an ordinary skateboard... This is Extreme Gear!  
"Knuckles... Where did you...?"  
"Shadow used his Chaos Control to travel and get some," the red echidna answers, pulling out his own Extreme Gear, Shadow doing the same thing.  
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." I turn back towards the Babylon Rogues.  
"Well, Jet, now that I have Extreme Gear, prepare to be outflied!"  
"We'll see about that, Sonic!" Jet turns towards Wave and Storm.  
"Wave! Storm! Race with me!" He commands.  
"Don't worry, Jet, we're gonna win for sure," says Wave.  
"Y-y-yes, boss," Storm stutters.  
"We got your back, Sonic," Shadow claims, marching by my side along with Knuckles.  
"Thanks, guys. We can do this!" I shout.  
"O-O-Oh no, the r-r-red ech-ch-chidna ca'nt b-b-beat me again!" The giant albatross hesitates.  
"What's the matter, Stormy? Can't stand being beaten by me again?" Knuckles taunts.  
"It's STORM, not StorMY!" Storm fights back.  
"STOP IT YOU TWO!!!!!!!!" the pink swallow raises her voice.  
"Make me, Wave!" Knuckles replies obstinately.  
"Seriously, Knuckles," Shadow interrupts, "the longer we continue this argument, the shorter time we have to try to stop Eggman and Bowser."  
Knuckles sighs. "Fine, I'll stop."  
"Very well," Jet says. "Now, where were we? Oh yes! Whoever arrives at the Gaia Temple first will win their team the Chaos Emerald. Fair?"  
"But the Gaia Temple's right in front of us - whoa where'd it go?!" That was just a holographic decoy!  
I open my mouth to speak, but before words come out, Shadow interrupts, "Wait - Where's Kiki???!!!"  
Oh great. How are we gonna find Wario and Waluigi now without Kiki? How are we gonna find Pumpkin?  
"Look! There he is!" Charmy points toward the right.  
Far away to our right is another Gaia Temple - probably the REAL one. Kiki is right at the entrance.  
"It seems that Wario and Waluigi ran off into that temple," explains F.L.U.D.D. Mario looks behind at the device, grunting while nodding.  
I sigh. "Jet," I ask, "even if my team doesn't win the Chaos Emerald, would you still mind allowing us to go into the temple?"  
"Why is that so?"  
I sigh again. "The main reason why we're here is because we lost two of our teammates. They would never get any attention because we thought there was no need for them at the time. We never meant to ignore them, but..." I pause. Then I shake my head and continue, "...but they're still part of the team, and no one gets left behind!"  
"Fine, if we win, you can still enter the temple, but the Chaos Emerald is ours," the green hawk agrees. "Let's get racing!"  
Jet holds up a button and presses it. Once he presses it, a race track to the Gaia Temple appears.  
"Well, that doesn't look too hard to race on," Knuckles states.  
"Think again, echidna," Wave warns, "it's treacherous."  
"If that's what you say," Knuckles replies and walks to the starting line.  
The purplish-pink swallow grabs him by a spike.  
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Wave squawks. Then she throws Knuckles on the ground and walks to the starting line.  
Knuckles doesn't say another word, but gets up and keeps walking to the start.  
Right before we mount our boards, Jet says his last words before the race,  
"Your gonna lose, Sonic."  
"You're gonna wish you never said that, Jet," I reply, trying to end the argument there.  
As the six of us mount our boards, the race begins.  
Woo-hoo! Head start! First place!  
"This doesn't seem like a hard race track. The track just keeps going straight," I comment.  
"Think again, smart one!" Wave insults, in third place, Jet being in second.  
"What? It's just - OOMPH!!!!!!!!!" I run into a huge boulder in front of me and fall of my board. How strange, I could've sworn that boulder wasn't just there a second ago!  
"So long, slowpoke!" Jet squawks, then laughs as he passes me. Then, I am passed by Wave and Knuckles.  
"Sonic! The track keeps changing!" Shadow advises as he passes me.  
"Now someone tells me," I mumble as I re-mount my board. "Thanks for the tip, Shadow!"  
Great, now that Storm has just passed me, I'm in dead last... I hope either Knuckles or Shadow is in first sooner or later...  
As I start riding again, I get close behind Storm. Then, we meet another obstacle.  
Monkeys throwing fruit at us.  
"Stupid monkeys." Well, I might as well have some fruit. Racing is hungering.  
I reach out and grab a banana thrown at me. I take a bite, but - "BLECH! What kind of fruit grows in a rainforest like this?! This tastes TERRIBLE!"  
As the track changes again, there are still more monkeys ahead. Ugh... If only Donkey Kong was here, he could just beat all these monkeys up...  
Wait a minute... I have an idea!  
I grab one of the last fruits that the monkeys throw at me. Now, to wait for the right time...  
Wait a minute... What is that? It's obviously a rock, but I don't believe it's an ordinary rock...  
Shoot! The track changed again!  
Hold on, that thing, that rock thingy, it just...just... CHANGED SHAPE! It probably changes shape every time the course changes...  
Wait a minute... Changing every time the course changes... Could that same rock be the source of the race track's illusions?  
I think I know where to throw my fruit.  
Right there, wait for it... 1, 2-  
"OOMPH!"  
Woah, what's happening? The track's all messed up! It keeps rapidly changing to the point where I don't know where to turn next - Oh crap, what did I do? Did I hit the rock?  
Finally, after many malfunctions, the track is smooth again! I guess I DID hit it! Now I can catch up in the race! SONIC SPEED!  
I just passed Storm... Knuckles... Shadow... Wave... Oh great, Jet's in first. Just perfect.  
"Hey slowpoke!"  
Jet looks behind his shoulder and sees me making a silly face.  
"SONIC! Why-but-?"  
I pass him just as we cross the finish line.  
"Who's the loser now? You are!" I taunt Jet and stick my tongue out at him.  
"Sonic!" Shadow interrupts my thoughts. "We need to quickly get to the Temple before Jet changes his mind!"  
Knuckles, Shadow, and I race to the Gaia Temple. Wario and Waluigi, here we come to the rescue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Sonic


	26. For the Team!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in almost a year! I've just been so busy that Wattpad hasn't been the first thing on my mind! But every time I log back in, I see all of y'all's feedback. I didn't know if I was gonna continue the story or not, but because y'all wanted more, here's more! Thank you everyone who reads this and thank y'all for waiting so long for another update! You have no idea how much this means to me! So stay strong, stay beautiful, and enjoy this next chapter!<3  
> \---------------------------------------------  
> Edit 1/3/16: Grammar edits, also I made Shadow a little too OOC before, so this time the happiest he gets is just a smile.

Mama mia, this temple is so ancient and huge... Whoever built this, they were REALLY advanced architects...  
"What IS a Gaia Temple, Sonic?" I ask.  
"To give you some background information," Sonic begins to explain, "since the beginning of time, two gods named Dark Gaia and Light Gaia have have fought each other. Dark Gaia tries to break the Earth apart, but Light Gaia is always there to stop Dark Gaia keep the Earth together. And these Gaia Temples help Light Gaia keep the Earth together. Except I don't remember one being located here..."  
"Wow, whatta story, Sonic," exclaims Princess Daisy.  
"I know, it's pretty scary," Sonic agrees. "And Eggman once used Dark Gaia's power to break the Earth apart, but he awakened the Gaias too early. They need time to develop before they can wake up and fight again. But nevertheless, Light Gaia and I teamed up, put Earth together, and taught Dark Gaia a little lesson."  
Mama mia, Sonic just always make everything seem like a piece of cake!  
"Ook ook OOK?! (You teamed up with a GOD?!)" Diddy Kong squeals.  
"Well yeah," Sonic answers, "but it wasn't a huge and extreme god like you think it would be. This Light Gaia was just a little itty bitty cute thing like you are, Diddy Kong. I called him Chip."  
"Ook ookie OOK???!!! (Cute?! Am I not TOUGH?!)" Diddy Kong growls.  
"Oooook ook ook! (Whoa there Diddy, EASY!)" Donkey Kong says, patting his nephew on the back, trying to calm him down.  
Sonic looks at a bracelet with a green pearl that he wears around his wrist, and then he looks at the ground. Then he explains, "This was the necklace Chip always wore. He let me keep it so I could remember him. And I still do. I remember how fun and brave he was and how he saved my life from Dark Gaia. And I know he's down there in the center of Earth, resting, but getting ready to fight for us." Sonic pauses for a moment, then looks up.  
"But now, Eggman's planning to awaken Dark Gaia again, and who knows, maybe he'll awaken it at the right time. But whether its the right time or not, we'll need the Chaos Emeralds to power the Gaia Temples when that happens. So lets go, we've got two greedy miners to find!"  
The team enters the Temple. It's so beautiful... All the paintings, the writings, everything... If only there were more buildings like this in Mushroom Kingdom...  
"There's the altar!" Sonic points out.  
We run to the room with the altar. The green pearl on Sonic's bracelet then starts to glow, as does the altar as well.  
"This is where we're gonna place the Chaos Emeralds," he explains, "but we'll need Light Gaia in order to fully activate it. And we'll actually be seeing Chip soon!" Sonic seems very happy now.  
"Ok, nice talk, Sonic," Knuckles rudely interrupts, "but we need to find Wario and Waluigi."  
I nod in agreement with the echidna.  
"Let's-a go!" Luigi and I shout.  
"Bah, yoshi yoshi? (Hey, does anyone hear that?)" Yoshi questions. We hear annoying noises getting closer and closer...  
"Wa! Wario found no gold!" Wario complains as we see him and Waluigi in front of us.  
"Wa! Waluigi found no gold either!" Waluigi repeats.  
"Well, it's not-a about-a the gold," exclaims my brother. I, once again, nod in agreement.  
"Wario, Waluigi, you both are cool guys, but you need to step up your game," Knuckles suggests.  
"The world is gonna be in grave danger very soon, and we need to stay together as a team if any of us want to survive!" Shadow growls.  
"Which means y'all should worry 'bout y'all's gold last and worry 'bout everything else firs'!" Princess Daisy fusses.  
The greedy Wario and Waluigi then look at each other, sigh, and then look at us.  
"Alright, we're sorry," Wario apologizes.  
"We won't do it again until this adventure is over," Waluigi says.  
If we survive this adventure, I thought. Every adventure I've been on has been fun, and this one has been fun as well, but it's one of the most dangerous adventures I've ever been on. It's not those regular adventures where Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser and then I have to go through eight worlds to rescue her... It seems kind of more like when Fawful and Cackletta were the villains.  
• • • • •  
When we arrive back at the place where Rouge, Cream, Cheese, and Vector are resting, Rouge explains, "The scent goes into the cave. Bowsay and Pumpkin went that way. Wario, Waluigi, are you two going to behave yourselves this time?"  
"Yes Rouge..." they say in unison in monotonous tones.  
"Good." The bat smiles. "Let's get going then. Where's Kiki?"  
"He escaped into a Gaia temple," Shadow answered.  
"Aw that's fine. We don't need that thing anymore anyway," says Rouge. "We're animals, we can sniff."  
If only humans could sniff as well as animals...  
The team advances into the cave.  
"I feel an uttering darkness nearby," Shadow states.  
"Um, Shadow, we ARE in the dark," Luigi points out.  
"But it's not just any darkness," Shadow describes, "it's a kind of evil darkness that I want to push away but keep getting drawn in to..."  
"BIRDO! (Look!)" Birdo found something!  
"Oh my goodness," gasps Cream, "Birdo found a Dark Portal!"  
"Should we step through it?" Rouge suggests. "It IS where the scent leads. We should step through if we're ever going to find Pumpkin."  
The bat puts her paw in the center. "I've really enjoyed working with this team. And this is saying a lot from me, because I normally work alone. But you guys have truly amazed me. For the team?"  
Everyone else then puts their hands and paws in the center, and we shout, "FOR THE TEAM!"  
Then, most of the team jumps through the portal. Everyone except me, Luigi, Sonic, and Shadow.  
"Luigi? What's-a wrong?" I ask my brother.  
"It's... Ghosts... There could be so many of them..." Luigi shivers.  
"Hey Luigi, remember what I told you," Sonic informs, "you just gotta get over your fears!"  
"And I'll always be here for you, Luigi. I am-a your brother after all." Although Luigi and I have had our ups and downs, I love him very much. I couldn't be asked anyone better to be my twin brother. I give Luigi a BIG hug.  
"Shadow? What's the matter?" Sonic asks him.  
"Mephiles," he answers, "Mephiles is on the other side of that portal. I can feel it."  
"Well, we can't survive Mephiles without you, Shadow," Sonic says. "After all, he did take YOUR form."  
"I'm just afraid," the black hedgehog admits. "Mephiles once told me that once the Flames of Disaster are set, I'll be the guilty one, the one to blame, because people will fear my power. It isn't my fault at all. But... what if the world really does turn its back on me?"  
"We're here for you, Shadow," Sonic says. Sonic is about to give him a pat on the back, but then Shadow growls, "Don't touch me, Sonic."  
Mama mia, Sonic has tried to cheer Shadow up so many times and he never accepts it...  
"Shadow," my brother says, "thank you for being a great-a leader. You've really led our group-a far. You always make sure we're in the right-a place at-a the right-a time. You were willing to take Rouge's spot-a when she got-a tired. I don't-a know where we'd be without-a you. Thank you."  
For the first time in awhile, I see Shadow smile. "Your welcome, Luigi. Thank you for everything too."  
"Mario, do you have anything to say?" Sonic asks me. "You don't talk a lot."  
"Shadow," I start, "my brother basically summed it-a all up-a for me. Thank you for being a wonderful member of the group."  
"You're welcome, Mario. And to you too." Shadow then turns to Sonic.  
"Sonic, you can pat me on the back now."  
Sonic smiles and does so. "You're a great pal, Shadow."  
"Group hug?" Sonic suggests.  
We all take his request.  
"You guys are amazing," Shadow affirms us. "You have no idea how much this means to me. If the world turns its back on me, I'll fight like I always have. I love you all."  
That's also the first time I've ever heard Shadow say, "I love you."  
"For the team?" Sonic pumps us up.  
"FOR THE TEAM!" We shout.  
As we break up the hug, we jump through the Dark Portal. We're going to find Pumpkin, together. Let's-a go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario  
> __________________________  
> Again, I'm SOOOO sorry I haven't updated in almost a year! But this update is here because you all wanted it! Thank y'all so much! (Yup, I live in the southern part of the U.S., we say "y'all".)  
> I wanna take time to relate to Shadow in this chapter. I know Shadow's normally not the happiest character. As to us, we're not all always the happiest people. We have our struggles in life. Like Mephiles was down on Shadow, people are down on us, or we're often down on ourselves. However, there will always be someone out there who loves you. If there isn't, then I'll always love you. And you never know who to expect to love you. Shadow must've not expected Mario and Luigi to be so thankful for him. Remember, you never know who can make a difference in your life, and you never know what difference you can make in someone else's life! I don't know if you're Christian or not, but if you are, know that Jesus died for you and you would not even be reading this right now if he hadn't've done it. So goodnight, thanks for reading, I love you all, God bless<3  
> ~SonicLover24601


	27. A Ruined Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowser Jr.
> 
> \---------------------------------------------  
>  Hey readers! SonicLover24601 here! Thank you so much for reading, especially for 4.6K reads! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!  
>  Because y'all are so amazing, I'd like to interact with y'all more. So I'm gonna start Question Of The Day after every chapter!  
>  QOTD: What is your favorite Mario game and why?  
>  My AOTD: Super Mario Galaxy 2! I love the gameplay, it's so epic, and I'm really glad Nintendo put Yoshi in it! When I first got it, I was never so hooked onto a Mario game before!  
>  Leave your answer in the comments below!  
>  Have a great day and thanks for reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

OOMPH! Darn crackers, that Dark Portal ride made me SO dizzy...  
Wait, where are Kamek, Tails, Blaze, and Yacker?  
"JUNIOR!" I hear Kamek call.  
I turn around and see the four. As I run to them, I look at what's around me. I see houses burnt down, a dried up lake, and a dull ruined pink castle. This is Mushroom Kingdom. Except it's ruined.  
"I wonder where Yacker's Star Yellow friend could be?" Tails wonders.  
Suddenly, a voice calls from behind, "HELLO YELLOW!"  
We turn around and see a little yellow round thing with a star attached. A star sprite!  
"So it IS Chippy!" Kamek confirms. "Yacker, you told me that wasn't its name!"  
Yacker starts to get mad, but then the star sprite interrupts, "Yacker, I'll handle this." She then says to Kamek, "Chippy was my fake name for Bowser to call me. My real name is Starlow!"  
"Starlow..." Tails mutters, "Star Yellow... Starlow... Oh, Yacker! Is this your Star Yellow friend you were talking about?"  
Yacker happily nods and flies around Starlow, giving her a hug.  
"Oh Yacker, I've missed you too!" Starlow smiles and giggles.  
"Starlow," says Blaze. "I like it. It has a nice twinkle to it."  
"Starlow," Tails begins to ask, "can you understand Yacker's language?"  
"Why yes I can!" she answers. "Yacker is one of my best friends!" Starlow and Yacker then dance around.  
"Oh I'm sorry, who might you two be, the fox and the cat?" asks the star sprite.  
"I'm Tails, and this is Blaze. We're from another world, but we're friends of Mario. You know Mario, right?"  
"Yup I do!" Starlow excitingly states. Tails seems to be happy with her... ugh.  
"What brings you guys here?" she asks. Then she gets a little shockingly worried. "And... Why are Bowser Jr. and Kamek here?"  
"Oh, I don't know, why are YOU here?" I question back.  
"Cool it Junior," Tails orders me. "Let me do the talking." I start pouting. Since when was HE the leader of the group?!  
"We were all taken to the future by either dark clones or Dark Portals," Tails begins to explain. "We were first taken to Crisis City. That was where we found Yacker. We also watched a video of how the Day of Darkness happened in Soleanna, and... and..." Tails starts to look scared. He's scared to talk about his sister.  
"And then, my two sisters of water and grass attacked us," Blaze continues. Tails must be relieved that he didn't have to talk about his sister's death.  
"And I saved you!" I interrupt.  
"SHUT UP JUNIOR!" Blaze roars. Oh, she is SOOOO attractive when she roars...  
"Sorry, Starlow, he has a crush on me..." she apologizes. I feel another hole in my heart when she says those words...  
"So then, we jumped through another Dark Portal, and now we're here in the Mushroom Kingdom," Tails finishes.  
"So this is 1,000 years after the Day of Darkness..." Kamek realizes.  
I look back at Princess Peach's castle, and the flag at the top has the logo of my sister.  
"Starlow," I ask, "is there a video from 1,000 years ago of how the Day of Darkness occurred here?"  
"Sure there is!" Starlow happily claims. "Follow me!"  
The star sprite leads us to Princess Peach's castle. I'm behind everyone else. Everyone enters the castle, but I stop right at the entrance.  
I look up one more time at the flag of my sister. Starlow's gonna show us the video of what happened to her. If Mephiles killed Pumpkin, what if Fawful kills Bowsay? I don't know if I'll be ready to watch this video...  
But, nevertheless, I take a deep breath and march into the castle.  
As I enter, the inside of Peach's castle is ruined.  
"This way!" Starlow informs us. We keep following her.  
Starlow takes us to a room with a giant computer screen. She then types in information that will take us to the Day of Darkness Documentary.  
The video starts to play. It's the night of the Star Festival in Mushroom Kingdom. All of a sudden, my father's airships invade and fly to Peach's castle.  
"Princess Peach," my father announces, "you are invited once again to join me in the creation of my galactic empire in the center of the universe! You and I will rule the universe, every corner, for all time! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
"Invite me all you want, I won't go!" the princess fought back.  
"Dang, when did Peach get so sassy?" I wonder.  
"She only could've gotten it from Amy," Tails replies.  
As the video continues, my father says, "This time, with the help of my fellow Dr. Eggman, the Galactic Empire is stronger than ever, and it will be UNSTOPPABLE!!!! MWAHAHA!!!!!"  
Yeah, way to go dad! For now at least... I'm really scared of what will happen next...  
My dad then says, "The party is-"  
"-not over yet," a voice interrupts. The voice is very girly with a British accent. Bowsay.  
Bowsay hops onto my father's airship.  
"Bow... Bowsay?" My father stands there in shock.  
"Hello, Papa," Bowsay replies with an evil smile. "Think you're gonna have a party without inviting ME, are you?"  
Papa doesn't speak a word.  
"I see how this is," my sister replies.  
"You think you and Eggman's plans are the greatest of all time," she says, "but truthfully, me and Pumpkin's plans are greater!"  
She then turns around and hops onto another airship. I see myself on there. What is my sister gonna do to me now?  
"Ah, Bowser Jr, my very own twin brother," she cackles. "It's been a joy growing up with you. You always got what you wanted. You always got what I DESERVED!!!!!!"  
Bowsay roared so loud that she sent me flying back into a wall of the airship. No, no, no, this can't be...!  
"Oh, that hurt, did it not, Junior?" Bowsay laughs. "Well, at least it only hurt for a second, unlike ME, who has been hurt HER WHOLE LIFE!" Her roar sends me into a wall again. It really hurts me to see Bowsay this angry. She's changed so much, and I don't like it. She was never so violent. It scares me a lot. I kind of start to cry.  
Bowsay then jumps on top of the flag pole on Princess Peach's castle. She breathes blue fire into the flag, changing it from the Mushroom logo to her own logo.  
She's breathing blue fire? I can't even breathe fire at my age! Just fireballs! And only the bravest, smartest, most powerful Koopas can breathe BLUE fire! She's become so... so powerful.  
"NOW the party is OVER!" Bowsay cackles. She then laughs, storm clouds coming and lightning striking. No, Bowsay, you can't do this...  
All of a sudden, a little guy with a round green head and red cape floats up to Bowsay. Fawful!  
"Aaaaaah, Bowsay, you've done very well, and you've come so far after what Master Fawful has taught you," he says.  
"Fawful! No! You're dead!" my papa roars surprisingly.  
"I don't need you anymore, Fawful," Bowsay affirms. "The Dark Star and Antasma have taken me so far, and Pumpkin and I are the most powerful beings in the world- even more powerful than YOU!"  
"What? The Dark Star? Antasma? I thought they were long gone!" My father roars.  
I've never seen neither the Dark star nor Antasma, but Papa warned me to stay away from them!  
Fawful cackles. Leave my sister alone, you bad thing!  
Bowsay then breathes blue fire at Fawful, the largest bolt of blue fire I've ever seen, and Fawful disappears. I see how Mephiles could've survived Pumpkin's attack because he's immortal, but I don't see how Fawful could've survived Bowsay's attack. Fawful's obviously not immortal. Fawful deserves to die.  
"Fawful sure doesn't like the taste of fire," Fawful's voice speaks offscreen, "especially blue fire!"  
Bowsay turns around and sees Fawful right behind her.  
"You sicken me you twerp!" she roars.  
Fawful laughs even more. "If you follow Fawful, though," he offers, "then you, Pumkin and Fawful can create a beautiful recipe of the universe- TOGETHER!"  
"And what about Mephiles?" Bowsay questions.  
"Mephiles takes everything too seriously, especially Fawful's food metaphors!" Fawful answers.  
"I'm never joining you again, Fawful," Bowsay affirms. "You only want everything to yourself... But Pumpkin and I will control the universe alone, and no one will stop us!" She cackles. She used to never want to hurt anyone, and it scares me how much she's changed...  
All of a sudden, the sky turns darker. A solar eclipse!  
"Now, Vaccuum Helmet, do your duty!" Fawful orders.  
All of a sudden, a black substance is sucked out of my sister.  
"Come to Fawful, Dark Star!"  
No, no, Fawful, what are you doing?  
"No!!!!" my dad roars. "The Dark Star was destroyed! I saw it explode! How does it still exist?!"  
However, no one answers my dad as all the substance is sucked out of my sister. She falls from the flag pole as Princess Peach slightly screams when Bowsay falls in front of her. A small bat creature flies out of her (probably Antasma). No, Bowsay, you can't be dead! I can't watch you die like this!  
Fawful then transforms into his dark form.  
"Aaaaah, Dark Star," he cackles, "it's so good to have you in Fawful's tummy again!"  
Fawful then flies in front of Princess Peach.  
"Now, Vacuum Helmet, take the voice of purity!"  
A beacon of light flows out of Peach and into Fawful's Vacuum Helmet.  
Is Fawful stealing Peach's voice? What would he need it for?  
"Now come to Fawful, Beanstar!" A star with closed eyes appears in front of Fawful.  
Oh, I remember Papa talking about the Beanstar! He told me it could grant any wish, but it must be awakened by a pure voice. Wait, a pure voice... Peach!  
Fawful then starts talking in Peach's voice, "Awaken, O Beanstar!"  
The Beanstar opens its eyes.  
"Now Beanstar, Fawful wishes for his master Cackletta to rise from the dead!"  
Cackletta? Papa told me all about her! She's even possessed Papa before! And the way he described her appearance, she seems very ugly... Well now I get to see what she looks like...  
On the screen, there is a giant shadow of a monster growing from the ground. That must be Cackletta.  
"At last! Cackletta!" Fawful talks in his normal voice, "Fawful has missed you!"  
And the video ends there. I didn't get to see what Cackletta looked like... but I'm glad the video stopped there. I can't watch anymore.  
"Oh my," Tails gasps, "that must be... oh my..."  
"Mm-hm, that's what happened," says Starlow. "After Fawful resurrected Cackletta from the dead, Cackletta destroyed the entire place along with Antasma, who turned it all into an entire nightmare!"  
Yacker then speaks, and Starlow translates, "Yacker is saying that Cackletta, Antasma, Chaos, and Solaris teamed up and destroyed time and space, and now everything is in ruins..."  
"Well we've got no time to waste here in the future!" Kamek complains. "We have to get back to our own time now!"  
"Yes, we do," I say, feeling kind of down.  
"Aw, Prince Bowser Jr.," Kamek tries to comfort, "You'll be alright-"  
"I'm FINE, Kamek!" I roar. "How are we gonna get back to our own time?"  
"Maybe if there was a Dark Portal in Crisis City," Blaze suggests, "then there must be a Dark Portal here in Mushroom Kingdom!"  
Yacker and Starlow chant in agreement.  
We all walk out of Princess Peach's castle. When we get outside, a piece of magic with a dark triangle, circle, and square shape attacks us. We all jump away and dodge it.  
"What in the magic spells was that?" Kamek wonders.  
All of a sudden, a high-pitched, cackly, feminine voice says, "Hello, Kamek!"  
Kamek's eyebrows raise. "No, no, it's can't be..."  
"That's riiiiiight!" A Magikoopa wearing a purple robe appears out of the shadows. "It's me, Kamekla, your twin siiiiiiiister!"  
Oh come on... I have a twin, Mario and Luigi are twins, Tails has a twin, Blaze has triplets, and now KAMEK had a twin?! Who's gonna have a twin next, Rouge, Donkey Kong, Knuckles, anyone???!!!  
"A Magikoopa in a purple robe..." Tails mutters. He then asks Starlow, "Starlow, is this the Purple Magikoopa that took you through a Dark Portal to this place?"  
"Oh yes! It is!" Starlow exclaims, hugging Yacker.  
"What did you ever do for me, Kamek?" Kamekla asks rhetorically.  
"Kamekla... I..." Kamek is speechless.  
"That's right, you should be the one shaking!" Kamekla insults.  
"If you wanna fight us, then so be it," Blaze steps up.  
"NOOOO!!!!" the female Magikoopa shoots dark magic at the purple cat. "I only wish to fight Kamek and Kamek alone!"  
Kamekla then casts a purple force field around her and Kamek.  
"Dang... That lady is fierce," Blaze states.  
"While Kamek and Kamekla are fighting, we should find a Dark Portal." Tails suggests.  
"But we can't leave Kamek behind! We're all in this together!" I affirm.  
"Don't worry, Bowser Jr., we're not leaving through the Portal without him!" Tails answers.  
I nod in agreement.  
"Tails, do you think you can find the location of one of these Dark Portals on your Miles Electric?" Blaze questions.  
"Let me see... Nope, can't find any on here," Tails answers.  
"Impossible! There has to be one somewhere!" I exclaim. "Starlow, do you know where any Dark Portals are?"  
"I'm afraid not, sorry!" Starlow admits.  
"Well, we should go look for one," Tails suggests.  
"I'll stay behind with Kamek," I confirm.  
"Okay, Junior, that's fine," Tails replies. "Yacker, Starlow, what are you guys doing?"  
"I'll come with you and Blaze since I know this place well," says Starlow. "I'll help guide you two through any obstacles!  
"Yacker, do you mind staying behind with Bowser Jr. and Kamek?" asks the star sprite.  
Yacker makes a scared gesture.  
"Come on Yacker, I'm not gonna hurt you," I affirm. "We're all a team right now. I promise I won't hurt you."  
"It's okay, Yacker," Starlow says cheerfully. "Don't be afraid of Bowser Jr.!"  
Yacker sighs.  
"I'll take that as an 'okay'?" I ask.  
"Yup!" Starlow answers.  
"Now, Tails, Blaze, let's go find that Portal!"  
Tails, Blaze, and Starlow run off. I stay behind with Yacker while Kamek is still in a force field fighting his sister.  
I start to question and re-think everything. In the video, Bowsay had the Dark Star sucked out of her by Fawful's vacuum helmet. She had the Dark Star in her. Has she always had the Dark Star in her? Dies the same apply to Antasma? If she always had such evil power in her, then why did she never wanna do any evil before?  
And also, what made her change? What made her so evil in that video? Did the Dark Star and Antasma's evil finally hit her? What made her and Pumpkin team up? I'm just so worried about everything right now...  
But whenever I see Fawful, I'm gonna kill him. And if he's gonna kill anyone I love, especially Bowsay, then I'll make him kill me first.  
In the middle of my thoughts, the force field disappears. Kamekla is on the ground, Kamek alive and floating.  
"What has happened to you, O sister?" Kamek questions.  
Kamekla doesn't answer, but she struggles to get up. She then waves her wand, throwing her brother against a tree.  
"Kamek? Kamek, are you alright?" I run to help Kamek up. He seems to be okay.  
Kamekla then waves her wand again. A Dark Portal appears.  
"I'll be waiting on the other side," she affirms, "along with many other guests as well!"  
The purple magikoopa then flies on her broomstick into the portal.  
"She's changed," Kamek states. "She used to be so shy and shaky, but now she seems like she's not afraid of anything..."  
Tails, Blaze, and Starlow then come back.  
"What?!" Tails says surprisingly. "I could've sworn that Dark Portal wasn't there five minutes ago!"  
"That's cause Kamekla created it," I answer.  
"And she's on the other side," Kamek replies, "along with many other 'guests.' I don't know who these 'guests' could be, though."  
All of a sudden, I feel my heart beating rapidly.  
"Prince Bowser Jr., are you okay?" Kamek asks, concerned.  
"I... I feel... some sort of..." I pause. Then I answer, "Darkness."  
"I feel something too," Tails admits, "except it's not so much of darkness but of... burning."  
Tails and I look at the Portal and look at each other. I think we're thinking the same thing. I feel the Dark Star in my heart, and Tails feels Iblis in his heart.  
Bowsay and Pumpkin must be on the other side of the Portal.  
"Come on, guys," Blaze interrupts, "I'm sure we'll be okay. We've made it this far as a team, and we can only keep going farther."  
Blaze then puts her in the center.  
"For the team?"  
Tails joins, then I join, then Kamek, than Yacker, then Starlow.  
"FOR THE TEAM!" we all shout.  
The six of us all take a deep breath and jump through the Dark Portal.


	28. Dark Iblis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 1/3/16: Minor grammar and dialogue edits, also the true identities of Dark Peach and Dark Amy needed to be revealed to this team.

Sonic's POV  
Whoa... That Dark Portal ride was dizzy... Where are we? Most of the team seems to be here... Except...  
"Where's Shadow?" Rouge asks.  
"I don't know," I answer. "He literally just jumped through the portal with me, Mario, and Luigi!" He can't be gone already!  
"Shadow? Shadow, this is Rouge, come in! ...Nope, no signal from him."  
"We're gonna have to move on without him!" Knuckles suggests.  
"NUH-UH, MISTER ECHIDNA!" Princess Daisy snaps. "We already struggled to get Wario and Waluigi back after leaving them behind, and we're not making the same mistake with Shadow!"  
Another Dark Portal appears. Out falls Eggman, Metal Sonic, and the seven Koopalings.  
Wendy O.'s POV  
Oh gosh, that Dark Portal ride was dizzy...  
I really hope my sister, Bowsay, is okay. I used to communicate with her a lot on my tablet, but now I never hear from her... Dark Peach said she wasn't dead, and she said Bowser Jr. wasn't dead either, so there still must be hope!  
Where are we? Where did this Dark Portal take us? Oh look, there's that Mario and his friends! And there's that blue hedgehog- Sonic? I think that's his name- and his friends.  
"Wait- where's Papa?" my brother Lemmy realizes.  
Oh no... Where IS Papa?  
"You're not the only one missing a team member," says Rouge the Bat. "We're missing Shadow as well!"  
Dr. Eggman adjusts his eyeglasses.  
"Bowser and Shadow must have warped to different locations!"  
Oh, I really hope Papa, Junior, and Bowsay are okay... I just need to stay strong, stay a warrior.  
Metal Sonic then starts making a bleeping sound that I can't understand. He seems to be talking to Sonic. It seems like he wants to challenge him...  
"Really Metal Sonic? You think so, huh?" Sonic replies.  
Sonic and Metal Sonic start running toward each other... No, no!  
"STOP!" I intervene.  
"Wendy O. Koopa, what are you getting yourself into, Little Miss?" My oldest brother Ludwig demands.  
I look down and sigh. This is taking me a lot of courage for me to say this, but here I go.  
"Violence isn't the answer. At least that's not what Bowsay would've wanted."  
Just then, a Dark Portal appears, and Kamek and Blaze the Cat fall out.  
"Perfect timing, Kamek," says my brother Iggy. "Wendy is giving us an inspirational talk!"  
"Thank you, Iggy," I acknowledge. I take a deep breath and continue, "As I said, violence isn't the answer. At least that's not what Bowsay would have wanted. Bowsay never wanted to hurt anyone. But did we ever want to listen to her? No. We all just kept doing our evil, cruel ways. At first we, the Koopalings, thought Bowsay was crazy for not wanting to be like us, but if you think about it, she wasn't crazy! She did the right thing!"  
I take another deep breath, then I continue,  
"Okay, it's taking me a lot of courage to say this, but... I never thought Papa's ways were always the right ways either."  
All my brothers gasp.  
"Well, I'm sorry, it's true. When I was younger, My desire was to get everything I wanted. But I didn't know how to express my thoughts and feelings in a nice way... That was, until Bowsay and Bowser Jr. were born. Don't you see? Junior was completely for Papa, but Bowsay was completely against him. But Bowsay really changed me. Her kindness made me realize that I can't always get everything I want and that I should be happy enough with what I have. And Bowsay is one of the bravest Koopas I've ever known. It took her so much bravery to finally reveal herself and rescue Pumpkin. I don't know if I would have ever been willing to do such a thing. She looks up to me as an older sister, but... I also look up to her, even though she's younger. She lights the spark for me, and she can light it for all of us too."  
"If you say Bowsay was a spark of hope, Wendy O.," says Dr. Eggman, "then how come when Metal Sonic was mimicking Dark Peach, Dark Peach said Bowsay was about to kill Bowser Jr.?"  
Oh, you Egghead, you just got me started...  
"Bowsay would NEVER do that!" I roar, jumping up to Eggman's face and kicking him. Eggman falls to the floor.  
Oh no... what did I just do? I just said violence isn't the answer, and then I just used violence against Eggman! What is happening to me?  
"Oh Wendy, sister, come!" Ludwig reaches his arms out to hug me.  
At first I don't accept his hug. But then I think, What would Bowsay have done? Bowsay would have accepted any love offered to her. I run and give my older brother a hug. All my other brothers join in a group hug.  
"Speaking of Bowser Jr.," says Blaze the Cat, "where is he? And where's Tails?"  
"I know not!" Kamek replies. "They were literally just with us a second ago!"  
Suddenly, all the Koopalings break apart their group hug and stare at Kamek in shock.  
"Bowser Jr..." Ludwig mutters under his breath. Then he says, "Kamek, you were just with Bowser Jr.?"  
"Yes!" the Blue Magikoopa responds. "And we just watched a video of... of..." Kamek is about to say something, but then freezes as no words come out.  
Blaze continues, "We just watched a video of... of..." Blaze does the same thing. She freezes and no words come out.  
"Well go on, spit it out!" demands Daisy.  
"I'm trying to!" Kamek claims, "but the words do not seem to come to my mouth!"  
"It's funny, Kamek, because they don't seem to come to my mouth either," Blaze says.  
All of a sudden two voices call,  
"Mario!"  
"Sonic!"  
We all turn around and see Princess Peach and Amy Rose.  
Mario's POV  
Wow, I never knew any of Bowser's children could speak with such heart and passion! It's about time they did something good!  
But why can't Kamek and Blaze get their words out? Is it really that hard for them to say what happened?  
Oh look, there's Peach and Amy!  
"Oh Mario!" My beautiful girlfriend gives me a big hug. Amy tries to do the same to Sonic, but Sonic runs away. (Yeesh, when will Sonic ever understand and accept Amy's love for him?)  
"Are you okay?" I ask Peach.  
"I'm okay now," Peach answers, "but it was awful... I'm so used to being kidnapped by Bowser, but being kidnapped by... by... HHHKKK!!!"  
Oh no! Peach is choking!  
Oh good, she seems okay now...  
"Peach! Are you okay?" Daisy runs and gives her best friend a hug. "What was with the choking there?"  
"I'm... I'm cursed," Peach answers.  
"I'm cursed as well," Amy replies.  
"Cursed?" asks Espio the Chameleon. "What could you two be cursed with?"  
"We were cursed to not say anything about everything we heard while we were captured," Amy answers.  
"So we know who the real villains are behind Dark Peach and Dark Amy," Peach declares, "but Amy and I are cursed to not tell any of you."  
Villains? There's more than one villain behind this? Mama mia, that just makes everything worse...  
"So does that mean Blaze and I are cursed as well?" Kamek asks. "Because we were trying to say words, but they could not come out of our mouths either!"  
"Maybe," Amy shrugs, "beats me."  
"Ook, ookie ookie ookie OOK! (Well, Kamek and Blaze didn't choke like PEACH just did!)" Donkey Kong observes.  
"I was reading your mind there, Donkey Kong," Silver affirms.  
"Silver, you have mind powers, you read everyone's mind!" Wario jokes.  
"No I don't, I just- UGH never mind!" Silver just takes everything so seriously these days...  
"Aha, get it," Waluigi continues, "Never MIND? Heheheheheh-!"  
"Wario! Waluigi! I thought you said you were gonna behave yourselves?" Rouge demands.  
"Sorry Rouge," Wario and Waluigi apologize in monotonous tones.  
"Wait, Blaze," says Sonic, "did you say that Tails was just with you, along with Bowser Jr.?"  
"Yes," the cat princess answers, "but I don't know why neither of them are here now."  
"Yo, yoshi yoshi yoshi yoshi yoshi! (Well we're missing Shadow from our group as well)!" Yoshi states.  
"And we're also missing Bowser from our group," states Eggman.  
"Wait, where are Starlow and Yacker?" Blaze realizes.  
Starlow? I don't know Yacker, but Starlow was with them too? I love Starlow! I hope she's okay...  
A small Dark Portal then opens up, and a floating white alien with one eye comes out, along with a yellow star sprite.  
"HELLO YELLOW!" exclaims the star sprite.  
"Starlow!" I'm glad to see her again!  
"Mario! Great to see you again!" Starlow then flies around me.  
Then she flies up to my brother. "Oh, hi Luigi!"  
Luigi shyly waves, afraid Starlow might hit him or something. Luigi and Starlow have that kind of relationship where Starlow always hits or kicks Luigi in some way.  
Starlow then knocks Luigi to the floor, and Luigi puts his hands in front of his face, afraid of the star sprite.  
"Oh, come on, Luigi, I was just messing with you!" Starlow admits. "Get up!"  
The one-eyed alien then starts twirling around Sonic.  
"Hey Yacker! I've missed you too!" says the blue hedgehog.  
Blaze's POV  
"But Peach, Amy, how did you two escape?" I ask. Last time we saw them, they were trapped inside Dark Bubbles!  
"We don't know," Amy answers. "Peach and I were just sitting in our bubbles all alone, and then, all of a sudden, the bubbles popped!"  
"But then, after they popped, we found you guys!" Peach finishes.  
"Well, we're really glad to see you two again!" Cream the Rabbit affirms.  
"But where could Shadow, Tails, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. have gone?" Rouge wonders.  
"Boop beep beepity-Boop! (Dark Peach and Dark Amy clearly said that Bowser Jr. was on the other side!)" informs Metal Sonic.  
"Good point there, Metal Sonic," says Dr. Eggman. "They also informed us that Bowsay and Pumpkin were on the other side as well!"  
"They have to be here somewhere!" Silver claims.  
"We can't talk about this forever!" Knuckles interrupts. "We have to get out of here now!"  
Thank you, Knuckles. Sometimes we get a little too carried away in our conversations...  
"But the thing is," I wonder, "we've been talking so much about where all the missing people are, that we haven't even bothered to think - Where are WE?"  
Everything around was all dry. It was a huge empty space. No cities or castles or plants or anything... We seem to be in the middle of nowhere.  
"Looking for US?" we hear two female voices say.  
The entire team turns around, and the familiar faces we see are just who I expect. Dark Amy and Dark Peach.  
Wait - What are they doing? They're... changing?  
Oh no... no no no... it can't be... Everyone else is just as shocked as I am...  
"Bowsay! You were Dark Peach the whole time???" shouts Wendy O.  
"And Pumpkin! You were Dark Amy???" exclaims Sonic.  
"Indeed we were," Pumpkin answers.  
"What has happened to you, Sis?" Wendy O. sneers. "You're not the Bowsay I remember! Neither is Pumpkin!"  
"Maybe we're not the people you remember," says Bowsay, "but now we know better!"  
"Which is a good thing," Pumpkin continues, "because that means we're stronger than ever!"  
What could they possibly know better that makes them stronger?  
"Now, let's see how you basic freaks are against me and Pumpkin's almighty power!"  
How dare Bowsay call us basic!  
Pumpkin and Bowsay then face each other. They hold their arms up and place their palms against each other's. Then, blue flames start shooting out of Pumpkin's paws while darkness shoots out of Bowsay's. What could they be doing?  
"Hold it right there, you little basic fox!" Dr. Eggman holds up a blaster of his invention and aims it at Pumpkin. "Your powers are MINE!"  
"Eggman! No!" Sonic warns.  
Eggman's blaster then fires at Pumpkin, but an invisible force field blocks it and fires back, knocking Eggman down.  
"Sheesh, that's twice I've been knocked down already..." Eggman gets up and scratches his head.  
Silver's POV  
What are Bowsay and Pumpkin doing? Are they creating something?  
The ground then starts to split into a giant hole, with Pumpkin and Bowsay on either side.  
Made from Pumpkin's (and a few of Bowsay's) flames and Bowsay's darkness, a giant monster appears in the hole. Pumpkin and Bowsay then laugh and disappear. Darn it, they got away!  
Oh no... I've seen this monster before...  
"Iblis!" I shout. Except this time, it's black.  
"Iblis?" asks Blaze.  
"Yes, Blaze, this is the same monster of Iblis that we fought in Crisis City," I claim.  
"But it's not exactly the same Iblis," Blaze informs, "because there's more darkness in it."  
That's true.  
"Everyone stay back," I warn, "I'll take care of the monster!"  
"Not alone you're not, Silver!" says Sonic.  
Iblis then throws a flaming rock at me. Using my awesome psychokinesis, I throw the rock back at it, hurting it. Easy peezy.  
Eventually, Iblis roars and starts to create a hurricane. The winds get stronger and stronger, and it's hard to move.  
"What?" I exclaim. "I don't remember Iblis being able to do that!"  
Luigi's POV  
"Maybe not," says Starlow, "but I know one thing that can create a hurricane as powerful as that!"  
Mario and I look at each other. I think my brother knows what I'm thinking.  
"Dark Bowser could create a hurricane as powerful as that," informs Peach, "so that must mean that the monster has-"  
"THE DARK STAR!" Mario and I finish.  
"Hrrrrph..." Rouge says, fighting the wind, "We still need to defeat that monster!"  
"Mario, Luigi, you know what to do!" claims Starlow. "Do you have your hammers?"  
"Mario, look!" Two random boxes! How convenient!  
Mario and I jump on the boxes and obtain our hammers. We then look at each other and nod.  
"Let's-a go!"  
Then, the monster releases spheres with the Dark Star symbol on them.  
Mario and I jump on them and use our awesome hammers to hit them back at the monster.  
All of a sudden, the monster releases spheres with spikes, throwing them at Sonic and Silver. Right when they're close to Sonic and Silver, they disappear.  
"Huh, that's funny," thought Sonic.  
Silver also wonders, "Why did they all of a sudden disapp-OW!"  
The spiky spheres hit Sonic and Silver.  
The monster then aims those same spiky spheres at me and Mario, but right when they turn invisible, we hit them back at the monster with our hammers.  
"Sonic, Silver, a little help here!" I complain.  
The two hedgehogs nod. Sonic hits them back with his Homing Attack and Silver throws them back with his psychokinesis.  
"Mario, Luigi, before you do anything crazy," Starlow calls out to us, "here are 10 Attack Pieces!"  
"Yahoo!" 10 Attack Pieces! Now Mario and I can perform a Bros. Attack!  
My brother holds out a shell, and we kick it back and forth at the monster. Once the shell has enough momentum, Mario gets the final kick.  
"Silver! Reinforce the shell with your psychokinesis!" Starlow suggests.  
Silver nods and does as she says. BOOM! The shell then slams in the monster's face.  
The monster roars and then explodes. Mama mia, that battle was so scary, I could have died!  
"We haven't seen the last of the Dark Star," says Peach.  
"Or Iblis," Amy adds.  
Sonic's POV  
Oh my, I've never faced a monster like that in my life... I mean, I've faced harder, more intense monsters, but this one was just different I guess.  
"Bowsay and Pumpkin created this monster," Silver states, "and if this monster had the powers of the Dark Star and Iblis, then that must mean..."  
"Bowsay had the powers of the Dark Star!" says Ludwig.  
"And Pumpkin had the powers of Iblis!" says Knuckles.  
Well, that only makes sense...  
Peach and Amy nod.  
"That's one thing we learned when we were kidnapped," says Peach.  
"It really is the scariest thing," says Amy.  
"Well, I really do hope that Tails is okay," I worry. "I wonder if he knows this about his sister or not..."  
Miles "Tails" Prower is my best friend. He has been with me through so many adventures so many times. He has helped me so much at everything, and overall, he's just been such a wonderful friend. He's my best friend, and I don't know where I'd be without him.  
"Bowsay... no..." Wendy O. mumbles. She then demands, "What could she have done to Bowser Jr.?"  
My gosh, being a hero is hard work... I need some rest.  
"Oh look, a random rock!" It looks a lot like a pillow... Well, it looks good to sleep on.  
I lay down on the pillow-rock. Ooo, this is actually very cozy!  
"Sonic! Get off!" Luigi complains. "This is my job!"  
"Huh? Sleeping is your job?" Luigi can be a very confusing person sometimes...  
Luigi then pushes me away (way to be RUDE!) and rests his head on the pillow.  
Then, a colorful portal appears above his head.  
"Okay, Luigi is a very confusing person," I admit out loud. "Does he always create colorful portals when he sleeps?"  
"No," Starlow answers me, "because this isn't any ordinary rock he's sleeping on."  
Starlow then flies up to Luigi and examines the rock.  
"This is a Pi'illo!"  
"A pillow made of rock? That's just unnatural..." Rouge says in confusion.  
"No, not 'pillow,' 'Pi'illo,'" Starlow replies. "P-I-apostrophe-I-L-L-O."  
"Oh," says Rouge. "Why is it made of rock?"  
"It's petrified," explains Starlow. "Long story short, the only way to un-petrify it is to destroy the nightmare chunks inside the Dream World!"  
"Ooo, a Dream World?" asks Cream.  
"Yes, Amy, it's a Dream Portal, and it leads to the Dream World," Starlow answers. Then she says to Mario, "Mario, do your stuff!"  
Mario gives a "Yahoo!" and jumps into the portal.  
"Did Mario just jump into Luigi's dreams?" I ask the Star Sprite.  
"Yes, Sonic," she answers. "You know Luigi can be a scaredy-cat at times, and he's much rather be sleeping than fighting evil. And Luigi is a very heavy sleeper! I tug on his moustache, tickle his nose to make him sneeze, mess with his hat, anything that would normally wake someone up, but somehow it never manages to wake up Luigi!  
"But anyways," Starlow continues, "my point is, Luigi sleeps so heavy that the wavelength of his dreams is extremely close to those of the Pi'illo people. That's why a Dream Portal appears whenever he sleeps on top of a Pi'illo!"  
"Oh my, talk about adventure there!" exclaims Vector. "I'd love to invade someone's dreams one day... Maybe I'll start with Espio's!"  
"Very funny, Vector," Espio says sarcastically.  
"Well, I'm sure Mario is gonna be okay," I affirm. "Mario can handle anything!"  
"Oh, and I forgot to mention," Starlow flies around Luigi and examines the petrified Pi'illo again. "This isn't just any Pi'illo."  
She then flies back up and announces to all of us, "This is Prince Dreambert!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---------------------------------------------  
>  Hello readers! YAY ANOTHER UPDATE! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I'm not gonna update as much because 1) I'm in this HELL called HIGH SCHOOL and 2) I'm currently in my school musical (The Wedding Singer!), and being in musicals is very time demanding. I hope to update as soon as I can! As soon as the musical finishes (which it runs March 26-29), I'll have a little more time to write. I hope to update as soon as I can!  
>  QOTD: What is your favorite Sonic game and why?  
>  AOTD: Idk if I have exactly one favorite, but I do love Sonic 06. I KNOW THE GAMEPLAY IS TERRIBLE, but I personally think it has one of the best plots in all the Sonic games (which is why I've used a lot of that plot in this fanfic haha). Okay, I will admit, Silver's voice did get a little annoying at times, but he's still one of my favorite characters. The only thing I would change is Elise kissing Sonic... (that's not gonna happen in this fanfic, THANK GOODNESS!)  
>  Okay, that was my answer and opinion. Be sure to comment your answer and opinion! Thanks for reading!  
>  Have a great day and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601


	29. Return to Luigi's Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers! Before you read, I edited Chapters 14, 19, 23, and 24. Please read those edited chapters before you read this chapter! I kinda changed a lot, and it's really important that you know those changes before you continue reading the story! Happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

I can't believe I'm back in my brother's dreams again! It has been so long!  
I'm currently swimming through the part that connects the Dream World and the Real World. Almost there...  
Here I am! I am officially in Luigi's dreams!  
I look behind and see green swirls. The green swirls then form my brother. Dreamy Luigi!  
"Luigi!" I exclaim.  
"Mario!" replies my brother.  
We give each other a hug.  
Dreamy Luigi is how my brother sees himself in his dreams. He can do a lot of cool things in his dreams, and he can even join with Luiginary Works. If only he could be like that in the Real World too...  
Oh look! An Attack Piece! This will allow us to perform Luiginary Attacks in battles!  
Speaking of battles, we just ran into Drombas! Let's-a go!  
Dreamy Luigi zooms into me. I jump on a Dromba, and a bunch of Luigi clones, or Luiginoids, jump on all the other Drombas. All the Drombas disappear. That was easy!  
I then look up at a really high cliff. Mama mia, how am I gonna get up there?  
Dreamy Luigi then nods and swirls to join with a tree. All of a sudden, his eyes are in the tree and two branches are his moustache. A Luiginary Tree!  
Now Dreamy Luigi's branch/moustache can pull me down and fling me up there!  
Except... someone from the Real World has to tug on Luigi's moustache.  
I then call out, "STARLOW!!!!!!!" Starlow normally always watched Luigi sleep on Pi'illos, and normally Prince Dreambert would communicate with her about what to do with my sleepy brother... But without Prince Dreambert, how is this gonna work?  
Oh, Starlow must have heard me, because here comes one of Dreamy Luigi's branches!  
FLING! "Yahoo!" This is fun!  
Yahoo again! Another Attack Piece!  
Oh no! Too many enemies! I don't wanna go and fight them all...  
Oh look! A constellation of Luigi! A Luiginary Generator! Dreamy Luigi swirls in with his constellation, creating a tower of Luiginoids. Now THAT is Luiginary!  
As I ride on top of the Luiginoid tower, all the Luiginoids run into all the enemies and knock them out. Oh yeah!  
Oh yeah again! Attack Piece 3!  
Look! There's a gold sphere with a pendulum. Is that what I think it is?  
It is! It's a Luiginary Clock! Dreamy Luigi swirls to join with the sphere. This is the Luiginary Work that controls how fast or slow I move!  
I start running REALLY fast. Yahoo, Attack Piece 4!  
Oh look, there's another Attack Piece there! It's RIGHT THERE, but it's a little too high... How do I reach it?  
Dreamy Luigi then slows down time. Of course! When I move slower, I can float more when I jump!  
Attack Piece 5! Yahoo!  
Oh no, a bunch of spikes... I don't know if I can jump through all of them alone...  
Dreamy Luigi joins with his constellation again, forming another tower of Luiginoids. The tower then turns from the shape of a column to the shape of a cone. Of course! A Flying Spin Jump! I hover above the spikes with the Luiginoids.  
Attack Piece 6! Four more to go!  
Oh look, there's another Attack piece, but it's very far out there... That swirl of wind can blow it over here!  
Dreamy Luigi then joins with the swirl of wind. I see his eyes, mouth, and moustache in the swirl. Luiginary Wind! But now someone from the Real World has to make the real Luigi sneeze...  
"STARLOW!!!!!!!!!" I call out again. Mama mia, this would be so much easier if I had Prince Dreambert...  
The Luiginary Wind then sneezes, and the Attack Piece blows forward. Seven Attack Pieces down, three to go!  
Oh no, now I have to go down really low to that area over there, and it's really deep down there... But look! There's a Luiginary Drill! I jump on the giant drill, and Dreamy Luigi joins with it.  
Mama mia, do I have to do this again...  
"STARLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm going to lose my voice from screaming for Starlow unless we somehow manage to find Prince Dreambert... But anyways, Starlow has to move Luigi's nose in a circle in order for this Luiginary Drill to work. Here it goes!  
Oh yeah, Attack Piece 8! Two more to go!  
Oh no, there are a bunch of stone blocks in the way up above, and the only way to go is up...  
Dreamy Luigi joins with another Luiginary Generator, once again forming a tower of Luiginoids. I then crouch down, causing all the other Luiginoids to crouch down. Then, we jump REALLY high, breaking the stone above us. AAAAAND there's another Attack Piece! Yahoo! One more to go!  
Now there's no more major obstacles to worry about! Just a bunch of jumping and hammer time! You can't touch us, I'm-a Mario, and I have the best brother in the world! We're unstoppable!  
Yahoo! 10 Attack Pieces! I've unlocked the Luiginary Ball Attack!  
Oh look! It's a giant purple glowing rock... Wait a minute, this is a Nightmare Chunk!  
I hit the nightmare chunk with my hammer numerous times until I shatter it. A Pi'illo wearing a red hooded cape with a yellow outline emerges. Yahoo, just the person I needed!  
"Prince-a Dream-a-bert!" I exclaim.  
"Mario! It has been so long!" replies the Pi'illo Prince. "I knew that if anyone could save me again, it would be you!"  
"What-a happened to you?" I ask.  
"I only know that it was Antasma again," Dreambert answers, "but I am not completely sure exactly what happened. You need to get back to the Real World first. Oh, hello Dreamy Luigi! Such pleasure to see you again!"  
My dream brother jumps in excitement.  
As soon as I return to the Real World, the stone that Luigi was sleeping on shines and turns red. Luigi then wakes up, the Dream Portal disappears, and the pillow stone transforms into Prince Dreambert.  
"Oh wow, Luigi's got some power!" Sonic exclaims.  
"And who might you be?" Dreambert asks the blue hedgehog.  
"I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic spins in a circle and gives a thumbs up.  
I then explain to Dreambert why we were here and what our mission was on this adventure.  
"Wow... I never would have guessed that Bowser had such children, especially such a daughter..." Dreambert replies in shock. He then looks around at the team and says, "I see you have such a numerous amount of people on your team, Mario, and it brings me great pleasure to join it!"  
Luigi and I jump, and we both give a "Yahoo!"  
"Mr. Dreambert," asks Cream the Rabbit, "Mr. Mario told you our story, so can you tell us yours?"  
"Very well, then. Let me enlighten you." Dreambert pauses, and then begins his story.  
"We Pi'illos inhabited the Pi'illo Island long ago. Our people were blessed with the ability to travel in and out of the Dream World. Now, on the island there existed two stones - the Dream Stone and the Dark Stone, both granters of wishes. The Dream Stone was formed of happy dreams, while the Dark Stone was a solid manifestation of nightmares. We were responsible for the safekeeping of these stones.  
"But then we grew lax, and one day the Bat King, Antasma, stole the Dark Stone. He sought to fulfill his own wish! At great risk and great cost, we fought and cornered him. But just as Antasma was to be imprisoned in the Dream World..." Dreambert pauses and closes his eyes.  
Then he opens them and continues, "He shattered the stolen Dark Stone. And then... our true doom came to pass. A black rain of nightmare chunks from the Dark Stone fell all over the island. As we were exposed to the chunks, we were all of us petrified."  
Dreambert then smiles at me. "But then, Mario saved us all from the nightmare chunks and defeated Antasma, and so the Pi'illos live on!"  
Luigi then jumps rapidly in anger.  
"Yes, Luigi helped too. Just like Luigi slept on me, he slept on all the other petrified Pi'illos, and Mario traveled to the Dream World to save them."  
My brother then smiles and nods in thanks.  
"But what happened this time, Dreambert?" Peach asks. "Why were you just petrified now?"  
"That I cannot fully answer," replies the Pi'illo Prince. "It all happened so fast and so sudden. It was such a beautiful day in the Pi'illo Kingdom..." Dreambert pauses again and then continues, "but all of a sudden, the sky turned black, and it started raining nightmare chunks, just like it had the first time. I did not understand why, because Antasma had shattered the Dark Stone a long time ago. Then, I saw Antasma, but I wondered how he could be there if he had been defeated by Mario and Luigi..."  
"No way! Antasma?!" Kamek growls.  
"Correct," Dreambert answers. "But he was not alone... There was a dark star revolving around him..."  
"THE DARK STAR!" Luigi and I freak out.  
"You have known this Dark Star before?" Dreambert questions.  
"Yes!" Starlow answers for us. "But Mario and Luigi had already defeated it before we even learned about Pi'illo Island!"  
"I know not what to say," claims Dreambert, "but I would like to give my many thanks to you, Mario and Luigi, for saving me once again."  
Luigi and I nod and jump in thanks.  
I am starting to wonder things now... The Dark Star returned? Luigi and I destroyed it! We were inside Bowser's body! I know it clearly exploded! How could Bowsay have had those powers? She clearly gave them to that monster!  
Same with Antasma... Luigi and I clearly eliminated him! How could he be back? And... How could Antasma have the Dark Star with him? Is Bowsay under his control as well? This adventure is really getting to me hard...  
I hear the voice of Knuckles interrupt my thoughts, screaming, "SONIC!!!!!!! You might wanna take a look at this!"  
In front of Knuckles appears a clean, pure blue water. The water then shifts to form a humanoid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario
> 
> \---------------------------------------------  
>  Hi readers! Thanks again for reading another chapter! I hope you all went back and read the edited chapters that I listed at the beginning before you read this one, ESPECIALLY Chapter 14! So now we know that not only is the Dark Star back, but Antasma is back! dun-dun-DUUUUUN!!!!!! I recently just started playing Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (and it's SOOO addicting, it's now my new favorite Mario game!), and before that, I didn't really know the plot or the new characters (everything I know about Bowser's Inside Story and Superstar Saga is literally from the Internet and YouTube). But now that I'm familiar with another awesome Mario game, I decided to put Antasma, Dreambert, and the Dream World in the story! That's why I went back and edited some chapters (especially Chapter 14). Right now in the game, I'm currently stuck on the rock mammoth-like boss on the top of Mount Pajamaja...  
>  QOTD: Favorite Mario and Sonic characters?  
>  AOTD: Bowser Jr. and Blaze! Which is why I kinda made them a couple haha... But yeah, I know they wouldn't go together, and I know Blaze knows better XD


	30. Chaos Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Sonic
> 
> \---------------------------------------------  
>  Hola, readers! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 5.5K READS OMG!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I've already started writing the next chapter, and something happens that you've all been waiting for... *suspenseful music*  
>  Ugh, this coming week is tech week *cough* hell week *cough* for my school musical... If you're a theatre kid, you understand that tech week is always hell week...  
>  QOTD: Favorite Mario and Sonic Villains other than Bowser and Eggman?  
>  My AOTD: Antasma and Mephiles. I have a thing for dark villains lol...  
>  Leave your answers in the comments below! Don't forget to vote too, please and thank you!  
>  Have a great day and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

"Chaos!" What is that thing doing here? It just randomly came out of nowhere! Well, it's a good thing it's just Chaos 0. I mean, all of Chaos's forms are a piece of cake, but I need to brush up a little bit.  
"Get back, Knuckles," I say. "I'll defeat this thing before you can blink!"  
Chaos reaches its arm out to attack me, but then I perform two homing attacks at its brain. Too easy!  
"Sonic, Wario blinked before you defeated the monster!" Wario brags.  
"So did Waluigi!" Waluigi continues.  
"Ugh, I didn't literally mean it..." I will admit, Wario and Waluigi are really annoying...  
Suddenly, as soon as I look back, there's a Chaos Emerald floating in Chaos's water. Now this is where things get a little trickier. Only a little.  
Now it's Chaos 1. Chaos grows in size as a humanoid. Its right arm is now bulkier, and there's more of a skeleton into its hand, which is where the Chaos Emerald is.  
Chaos 1 then reaches out with it's left arm to punch me, but I quickly dodge it.  
"Hey Knuckles, I could use a little help here!" I suggest.  
"Alright, Sonic," the red echidna punches his fists together, "time to take this thing DOWN!"  
Knuckles and I run on either side of Chaos 1, The monster reaches its stronger right arm out to punch Knuckles and its weaker left arm to punch me. Knuckles, with his super awesome strength, pushes back on Chaos's fist, drawing its attention more towards him. I then use a Homing Attack at its brain from the other side.  
Chaos 1 falls, but then it gets back up and snatches Knuckles with its right hand.  
"Urgh..." the echidna struggles to escape. "Let me go, you monster!"  
"Hang in there, Knuckles!" I call out. I use a Homing Attack at Chaos's fist, freeing Knuckles.  
"Thanks, Sonic," Knuckles appreciates. "Now for the monster..."  
Knuckles and I do the same thing as we did in the first attack - We run on either side of Chaos, Knuckles on its right, me on its left.  
However, Chaos turns around, aiming its left fist for Knuckles and aiming its right fist for me. Shoot!  
I quickly dodge the attack, causing Chaos 1 to plant its fist into the dry dirt. Knuckles, on the other side, uses his Glide to aim for Chaos's brain, and hits it.  
Chaos 1 then roars and starts shaking. Then, it melts into its pure blue water, swirls, and disappears.  
"Are you giving up, Big Drip?" I taunt.  
"Mama mia!" Mario and Luigi stand there in shock.  
"Sonic, Knuckles, wha' was tha' thang?" Princess Daisy asks.  
"That was Chaos." Knuckles closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and begins to explain.  
"About 4,000 years ago, my ancestors, the Echidna tribe, attempted to steal the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald in order to use them as violence against their enemies, which was lead by their leader, Pachacamac. However, Pachacamac's daughter, Tikal, tried to stop him because she knew violence wasn't the answer. But Pachacamac refused to listen to his daughter, and so his warriors stormed the shrine, which angered Chaos." Knuckles pauses, then continues, "I don't know all of the history of the Master Emerald, but I think it's better for me that way.  
"But anyways, whenever I'm not on any adventures, I'm guarding the Master Emerald," Knuckles explains. "One time, the Master Emerald shattered, and Chaos escaped, so I had to put the pieces back together again."  
"Someone must have shattered it again!" I suggest.  
"Eggman, was it you?!" Knuckles threatens, holding up his fist.  
"No! I swear it wasn't me this time!" Eggman admits. "I was originally going to shatter it, but it was already shattered when I found it! I don't know what happened or who did it!  
"But, I did see a smoke of darkness around it," Eggman informs.  
"Alright, we'll believe you this time, Baldy McNosehair!" I taunt. Yacker flies around in laughter because he was the one who came up with that nickname.  
"Urrgh, don't call me that!!!!!!!" Eggman shouts.  
This is why I love messing with Eggman. His reactions just never get old!  
I am curious about Chaos, though. Some Mario's enemies other than Bowser are coming back, and so I'm afraid that some of my enemies other enemies other than Eggman are coming back as well. One, Chaos is back, and Eggman admits he didn't do it. But what could this smoke of darkness be? Could it be Dark Gaia? No, Eggman's trying to unleash him again... What could have shattered the Master Emerald this time and set Chaos free?  
"Sonic! Mario!" A familiar boy's voice calls.  
We turn around and see Tails, Bowser Jr., Shadow, and Bowser.


	31. The Secrets Begin to Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---------------------------------------------  
>  I hope you liked this version! I tried to put in what I could remember from the previous chapter. Have a great day, afternoon, night, wherever you are! It's 1am right now so I need to sleep. So goodnight!  
>  \+ QOTD: Favorite Disney movie?  
>  My AOTD: Big Hero 6, Lion King, Frozen (no hate please), Tangled, Aristocats, plus more but there are too many

Shadow's POV  
That Dark Portal ride was sick... Where am I? It's all empty and dry and rocky around me... Where's the rest of the team? Where's Sonic? Where are Mario and Luigi? I was literally just with them right before I just jumped into the Dark Portal...  
But I still feel it. I feel Mephiles' presence all around me. I know he's here. He's out to get me. I can't run away from him now. But if I know he's here, where is he?  
But whether Mephiles says the world will turn against me or not, he's wrong. I have Sonic, Mario and Luigi, and Rouge. Rouge the Bat is my best friend, and I don't know where I would be without her. And even if the whole world turned against me, I'll fight like I always have.  
"Mephiles! You're gonna pay for this!" A boy's voice interrupts my thoughts.  
I turn around and see Tails running at me about to punch me.  
Why does Tails think I'm Mephiles? He sees me more often, and he hardly even knows Mephiles... He doesn't know him like I do...  
I take out a Chaos Emerald and shout, "Chaos Control!"  
Tails' POV  
Gee whiz, I hate Dark Portal rides...  
Where am I? What is this place? It's all rocky and dry an there's nothing else around me...  
Wait, where are Junior, Blaze, Kamek, Starlow, and Yacker? I know they were just with me!  
But I still feel the burning of Iblis in my heart. I know Pumpkin has to be here somewhere. I wonder if she's become evil yet like she was in the video... I hope I can stop Mephiles before he does this to her!  
Speaking of Mephiles... I see something black over there... It's a hedgehog! That must be Mephiles! I don't see why Shadow would be here right now!  
"Mephiles! You're gonna pay for this!"  
I run, and I'm gonna punch that murderer!  
The black hedgehog then holds up a Chaos Emerald and says, "Chaos Control!" I slow down for a second, and then I realize it's only Shadow. Only Shadow knows Chaos Control.  
Shadow shouts "Chaos Control" again, bringing me back to normal speed. I then stop running.  
"Shadow, I'm sorry, I thought you were-"  
"It's fine, Tails," Shadow interrupts. "Just never EVER attack Mephiles straightforward like that. You would probably be immediately dead after. What are you doing here, anyway?"  
I open my mouth about to speak, but then I hear another boy's avoice say, "Tails, watch out!"  
I spot a small spiky shell holding out a paintbrush coming right at us. Bowser Jr.!  
Bowser Jr.'s POV  
Crusty cheese curds, these Dark Portal rides only keep getting more nauseating... No Junior, don't throw up, don't throw-BLECH!!!!!!!! Ugh, enough of that...  
Where... Where am I? It's so empty all around me, and it's all dry and rocky and... Wait, where are Blaze, Tails, Kamek, Yacker, and Starlow?  
But I still feel this darkness inside me. I sense the presence of the Dark Star, so Bowsay has to be here somewhere. But I remember Dark Peach tried telling me that Bowsay wanted to kill me. Well, she sure wanted to kill me in that video we watched... I'm so scared! WHAT IF BOWSAY KILLS ME???!!! No, I was still alive in that video, and I haven't been there in person yet, so there's no way I'm gonna die now... But wait a minute, I just time travelled! So technically whichever time I'm in right now must have been after the world was ruined... GOSH DARNIT JUNIOR, GET YOUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!  
Wait a minute, who is that over there? Is that... Tails? And ...Mephiles???!!!  
Holding out my Paintbrush, I start spinning in my shell at the black hedgehog, and I shout, "Tails, watch out!"  
The black hedgehog the stops me like a soccer ball with his foot. As soon as he takes it off, I get out of my shell and see Tails all covered in graffiti paint while the black hedgehog is spotless.  
"Ew Shadow, get this off of me!" Tails complains.  
"Fine," Shadow rolls his eyes. "Chaos CONTROL!"  
All the graffiti disappears.  
"Sorry, Shadow, I thought you were-"  
"I know, Bowser Jr., I know," Shadow interrupts. Way to be rude!  
"Just don't EVER attack Mephiles like that. Like I said to Tails, you'd die instantly."  
"Well how DO you attack Mephiles, then?" I question.  
"We got no time for that, Koopa thing," says Shadow. "Now it's time to teach you a little lesson-"  
"Shadow, wait!" Tails interrupts. "Don't attack him now!"  
"Tails, what are you doing?!" Shadow growls. "In case you don't know, this is Bowser Jr., and he is an ENEMY!"  
"I know it's Bowser Jr., and I know that normally he's an enemy, but Junior and I agreed that we would be allies until we get back to our present time!"  
"Present time? What are you talking about?" Shadow questions.  
"Never mind, I'll tell you everything later," says Tails. Then he asks me, "Junior, have you seen the rest of the team?"  
I grunt and shake my head.  
"Team? What team?" Shadow questions.  
Before Tails or I can answer, I hear a voice roar, "Junior, m'boy!"  
Oh, I've waited to hear that voice for a long time!  
Bowser's POV  
GAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!! These Dark Portal rides are the dizziest things ever... Come on, Bowser, toughen up, you're a king... You're THE Koopa King...  
Where even am I? What is all this rock around me? It's so dry and empty and I'm the only one here...  
Wait, I'm the only one here? Where are Eggman and Metal Sonic? Where are my CHILDREN?! I cannot lose all my CHILDREN like that!!!!!!! RAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!  
But Dark Peach said that Junior was on the other side of the Portal... And she said Bowsay was on the other side too! But Dark Peach and Dark Amy both said that Bowsay and Pumpkin are now stronger than before and are against us... But Bowsay... How could you leave me like this? How could you leave your own father like this? I love you so much, dearie. I love you as much as I can. It ain't easy being a king and a dad at the same time, especially raising nine children!  
But... Bowsay wasn't like the rest of my children. She was almost the opposite of me. I hardly read any books at all other than what my papa taught me, but Bowsay read almost all the books in Kamek's library! But I don't know why she wouldn't use that extreme knowledge of hers to help our kingdom. With knowledge like hers, the Koopa Troop could be the strongest kingdom EVER! We could take over any kingdom we want, especially Mushroom Kingdom! And Princess Peach could be all mine! GWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Oh rotten claws, where am I going with this... Thinking won't get me any nearer to Junior or Bowsay...  
Wait... Is that... who I think it is?  
"Junior, m'boy!"  
"Papa!"  
Yes, it is Junior! Oh finally, my favorite son! He really is still alive!  
As I hug my kid, he says, "Oh Papa... I've missed you... I've needed you..."  
I squeeze Junior tighter, saying, "I've missed yeh too son... Now that I've gotcha, I'm not gonna letcha go..."  
"Oh, yay for a father-son reunion!" A deep voice says sarcastically.  
I look up and see-"SHADOW?!" I roar defensively. "What're you doing here?!"  
"Shadow, be nice!" I see Tails nudge the black hedgehog.  
"TAILS?! YOU TOO?! What have you two been doing to meh son-?!"  
"We didn't do anything, Bowser!" Tails interrupts.  
"Papa, it's okay!" my son interrupts. "Right now we're working as a team!"  
"Hm, team? What team?" I cross my arms.  
"Well, Tails and I agreed that we were gonna be allies until we get back our own time!" Junior explains to me. "So you should join us, Papa!"  
Urgh... Do I have to work with the negative Shadow and the annoying Tails?  
"Well, if yeh say so, Junior, I'll be fine with it this time," I affirm, "but once we get back to our own time, Tails and Shadow, I'm gonna smash you two until yeh're nothin' but a billion itty bitty pieces of-!"  
"SHUT UP, BOWSER!!!!!" Shadow roars.  
What?! How dare he?!  
"How dare yeh insult yehr King, Shadow! You deserve yehr punishment!"  
"Ha, MY king? I think you deserve the punishment, you turtle dung!"  
Oh, he just made me mad, and NO ONE wants to see Big Bad Bowser at his worst...  
Right before Shadow and I can fight, Tails and Junior scream, "ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"Shadow, Bowser, you two need to stop complaining and work together!" Tails informs.  
"Tails and I haven't been fighting," says Junior, "and look how far we've come!"  
"Junior is right," Tails agrees, "fighting won't get us anywhere!"  
"Well, before we go anywhere, how did we all end up here?" Shadow questions. "How about we start with BOWSER? Hm?"  
Yeesh, Shadow, don't give me that look...  
"I was testing meh traps to help me defeat Mario, and then Eggman walked in with Metal Sonic, and I thought, 'Metal Sonic? Where're Junior and Kamek?' Because I knew that Junior was always with Metal Sonic, and I sent Kamek to watch them earlier, but he never checked in with me when he was back, and he always checks in with me."  
"Oh, I'm so glad Metal Sonic's okay!" Junior exclaims.  
"So then the next morning, since Metal Sonic is known for mimicking, he was mimicking all the events that were happening before Dark Peach shut him down. Eggman and I were watching, and the rest of the Koopalings were watching-"  
"-How were the Koopalings watching, Papa?" Junior asks.  
"They were on the big screen watching from the castle," I answer.  
"Anyways, weh saw the whole thing through Metal Sonic. Weh saw Dark Peach say that Bowsay was still alive, but then she said Bowsay wanted to destroy the whole Koopa Line, and that... That just scared us. After that, it looked like Dark Peach was about to kill yeh, Junior, but weh weren't sure 'cause Dark Peach had already shut down Metal Sonic."  
"Did you guys really think I was dead?" Junior asks.  
"Weh did at first. Weh even asked Metal Sonic what he thought, and he thought you were dead too. It was awful.  
"But then Dark Peach appeared, and-"  
"-Dark Peach???!!! What does SHE want???!!!" Junior interrupts.  
"I'm getting there, son!" Just learn patience...  
"So Dark Peach appeared and said Junior wasn't dead yet. But she said she could've killed him if it weren't for some Magikoopa!"  
"It's true Papa, Kamek did save me from that witch!"  
I smile. "Glad to hear it, Junior."  
I continue, "Dark Peach then summoned a Dark Portal, and told us that you were on the other side. Another portal also appeared where the Koopalings were, and they all jumped through before I could even look back at them.  
"Eggman originally told me to just go through the portal while he waits, but then Dark Amy appeared. Dark Amy told Eggman that Pumpkin was on the other side of the portal, and Dark Peach told me Bowsay was too. But they said that Bowsay and Pumpkin were stronger than ever, and if we tried to beg for repentance from them to not expect them to give it to us."  
Junior and Tails look at each other in slight shock.  
"Eggman and I understood, and so weh jumped through the Dark Portal, along with Metal Sonic. But I have no idea where Eggman and Metal Sonic are now... Or the rest of the Koopalings..."  
"Bowser, I'm so sorry..." Tails expresses his care.  
"Well, I'm glad you found me, Papa!"  
I hug my kid. "I'm glad I found yeh too, Junior. I don't wanna lose yeh again."  
"Well, I can't say that's not pretty tragic," Shadow says with no expression.  
"How 'bout YOU go NEXT, Shadow!" I roar defensively.  
Shadow's POV  
"Fine, I will." But yeesh, Bowser, chill out for a few seconds...  
"So I was with Sonic, Mario, Luigi, Knuckles, Rouge, Silver, Daisy, Donkey Kong, and the rest of the team. We came across a treehouse that had Pumpkin's scent. Rouge found one of Eggman's Kiki bots, so we used that to follow the scent in hope of finding Pumpkin. We faced a lot of obstacles along the way, from Egg Cerberus II to Gobblegut to Jet the Hawk to losing and finding Waluigi and Wario to Knuckles and Rouge fighting all the time... Anyways, Pumpkin's scent led us to a dark cave. Eventually we were led to a Dark Portal. But before I could jump through, I felt someone else was on the other side."  
I pause, but then Tails asks, "Who, Shadow, who?"  
I clench my fist. Mephiles, I answer silently. But then I release my fist and answer, "Pumpkin. I knew Pumpkin was on the other side. I could feel it. So, along with Sonic, Mario, and Luigi, I jumped through the Dark Portal. I don't know if everyone was separated from their groups or it it was just me, but here I am now."  
"Aw, I liked Papa's story better!"  
Before I can beat that twerp up, Tails interrupts, "Well, Junior and I were together, but we were separated from our group!"  
Normal POV  
"Who was in the rest of y'all's group, Tails?" Bowser demands.  
"Well, there was me and Bowser Jr.," the yellow-orange fox starts, "and then there was Blaze and Kamek-"  
"Kamek?!" Bowser interrupts. "Well I hope he kept everyone straight!"  
"And Blaze?" Shadow interrupts. "She was captured by some giant plant monster!"  
"Yes, Shadow, I'll explain that in a second," Tails says. "So there was the four of us, and then we had Yacker the Wisp and Starlow the Star Sprite-"  
"STARLOW???!!! HER AGAIN???!!!" Bowser roars. "That Star Sprite was so fake! She even pretended to be my minion and even gave herself a fake name-!"  
"Papa, we don't care about that right now!" Bowser Jr. interrupts. Papa needs to learn to control his temper, he thought.  
"So anyways," Tails continues, "the six of us faced a lot of obstacles. We had to face Crisis City and the Ruined Mushroom Kingdom. Blaze had her two triplet sisters of water and grass, Mist and Holly. Holly's power was the plant monster that captured Blaze."  
"And then Kamek's twin sister, Kamekla, was the dark magic that captured him," adds Junior.  
"It was rough," Tails continues, "but we managed to do it. I felt some sort of burning in my heart, and I still feel it now. I sense Iblis's presence. I know Pumpkin is here."  
"I also sensed darkness in my heart, and I still sense it now," Bowser Jr. affirms. "I feel the Dark Star's presence all around me. I know that Bowsay is here too."  
"So Junior and I are here now," Tails picks back up, "but we don't know where Blaze, Kamek, Starlow, and Yacker are!"  
"Crisis City?" questions Shadow.  
"Ruined Mushroom Kingdom?" questions Bowser.  
"Yes, both of those places," Tails answers.  
Bowser Jr. then keeps explaining, "And while we were in each ruin, we watched videos of how everything happened. They were just terrifying, because... because... HHHHHKKKKKK!!!!!!!" Bowser Jr. starts choking.  
"JUNIOR!!!!!!! JUNIOR!!!!!!!! STAY WITH MEH!!!!!!!!" Bowser roars. His son then stops choking.  
"Junior, what was that about?" Tails asks, concerned.  
"I don't know," the Koopa Prince answers, "I was just about to tell them what we saw in the video, but then I started choking! That's so weird!"  
"Well, I'll take it from here," Tails offers.  
"Are you sure, Tails? You've already explained enough already, and I don't want you to choke too!" Bowser Jr. suggests.  
"I'm sure I won't choke, Junior, don't worry." Tails clears his throat and then begins to explain, "While in Crisis City and the Ruined Mushroom Kingdom, Junior and I saw videos of... of... HHHHHHHKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!" Tails falls to the ground and chokes too.  
"Tails! Can you hear me?" Shadow asks, checking on the fox.  
As soon as Tails stops choking, he answers, "Yeah, Shadow, I can hear you..."  
"I told you it was gonna happen to you too, Tails!" Junior taunts.  
"But how could it have happened?" Tails questions. "Are we cursed of some sorts?"  
"Cursed? Ha!" Junior laughs. "It's not like there was some rainbow magic flying unicorn saying 'NEIGH NEIGH YOU ARE ALL CURSED, HEHEHE, HAHAHA!!!!!!!!'-"  
"Whoa, Junior, rainbow magic flying unicorns are not my thing," Shadow interrupts.  
"Well, whatever Junior and Tails were trying to tell us, we'll find out somehow!" Bowser affirms. Shadow nods in agreement.  
Suddenly, a voice cries, "HELP!!!!!!!!!!"  
The four turn around and see Dark Peach and Dark Amy held by a bat with watery wings.  
Excuse me? Thought Bowser, thinking it's the original Peach, Kidnapping Peach is MY thing!  
Bowser takes a closer look at the bat and immediately recognizes him.  
"And so we meet again, Antasma!"  
"Ah Bowser! You vill not betray me this time, vill you? SCREEEEK!!!!!" The Bat King says.  
"Papa, that's obviously not the real Princess Peach, that's-!"  
But before Junior can finish warning his father, Bowser attempts to attack Antasma. Antasma then flaps his wings hard, sending Bowser flying back.  
"Urgh..." Bowser struggles to stand up. "What is the water in yehr wings for? Isn't that supposed to mess yehr wings up?"  
"That water..." Tails points out. "Is that water... Chaos?!"  
"Correct you are, little fox," says Antasma. "But I vas just using Chaos for now... But the true owner vill be even more powerful, and so vill the true owner of me! SCREEEEEEEEONK!!!!!!!!!"  
"'True owner'?" Shadow questions. "What do you mean the 'true owner'?"  
Antasma sets down Dark Peach and Dark Amy. Chaos then separates from the bat and transforms into a humanoid.  
"Papa, I tried to tell you, that's Dark Peach and Dark Amy, not the real ones!"  
"Well sor-ry son, I just see Peach getting kidnapped by someone else and I can't help it!" Bowser complains.  
Geez, Papa, sometimes I feel like I'm smarter than you... thought Junior.  
Dark Peach and Dark Amy start laughing.  
"Only someone as idiotic as my Papa would think I'm the real Princess Peach!" Dark Peach taunts.  
"Yehr Papa? Yehr Papa?!" Bowser grows even more furious. But then shakes his head and demands, "Dark Peach, where is meh daughter?! Yeh said she would be here!"  
"Yeah! I know Bowsay is here! I can feel it!" Bowser Jr. seconds.  
"And I know Pumpkin is here too, Dark Amy!" Tails shouts.  
"They are," Dark Peach and Dark Amy say in unison.  
The two then start changing shape until they form Bowsay and Pumpkin.  
"BOWSAY!!!!!!!!" Junior screams, "You were Dark Peach the whole time?!?!?!?"  
"Indeed I was," Bowsay answers with an evil grin.  
"And Pumpkin!" Tails gasps, "You were Dark Amy?!?!?!"  
"That's right," Pumpkin answers, also with an evil grin.  
"That bat guy and Chaos must be behind all of this," Shadow hypothesizes.  
"Vell, not all of it," Antasma answers, "vee only fulfill the vishes of Bowsay and Pumpkin, and from the two behind all of it... SCREEK!"  
"The two behind all of it?" says Tails. Could he possibly be talking about Mephiles and Fawful like they were in the videos? he thought. If only there was a way to let Shadow and Bowser know...  
"Now, Junior, brother," Bowsay threatens, "we got some unfinished business to deal with!"  
She then pauses and glares at Bowser. "Don't worry about me, Papa, I'll deal with you sooner or later!" Bowsay then morphs with Antasma, forming a purple comet. The comet encircles Bowser Jr., and then he disappears.  
"Junior!" Tails calls.  
"Oh, was he your best friend?" Pumpkin taunts.  
"No he was... Just an ally, that's all!" Tails stutters. Pumpkin never talks like this... She's always so quiet and depressed...  
"Pumpkin, enough with all your games-"  
"I'll deal with you later, Shadow," Pumpkin affirms. "First, I have a brother to deal with!"  
Pumpkin merges with Chaos and drowns Tails, Tails wailing for help. Eventually, the giant blob of water disappears.  
"No... no no no..." Bowser mumbles.  
"Is everything okay, Bowser?" Shadow asks.  
"YEH THINK EVERYTHING'S OKAY, SHADOW???!!!" The Koopa King roars. "I just lost meh son AGAIN!!!! And I've no idea where ANY of meh children are, plus meh DAUGHTER's gone EVIL-EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING SO FAST!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER IMAGINED LIFE WITHOUT BEING BIG BAD BOWSER!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Shadow tries to calm him, saying, "You still are 'Big Bad Bowser'-"  
"-NOT WITHOUT MEH KIDS I'M NOT!!!!!!!! MEH KIDS KEEP ME STRONG AND PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY JUNIOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
As soon as Bowser calms down and starts mourning more, Shadow puts his paw on Bowser's shell in comfort.  
"We're gonna have to get through this together, Bowser," says Shadow.  
"But you're an enemy," Shadow hops away, "so how can I trust you?"  
"Question is, how can I trust YOU, Shadow?" Bowser demands. "Yeh're always changin' sides, I don't even know who you work for anymore!"  
"He once worked for me," says a deep, dark voice. Shadow turns around and sees a dark hedgehog who looks exactly like him.  
"Mephiles," Shadow says, "I never worked for you, and I never will!"  
"Huh! Yeh look so fragile that I could smash you like mash potaters!" Bowser threatens.  
"Bowser, NO!" Shadow warns.  
But before Bowser can touch Mephiles, a green fireball flies in and hits him.  
"Hehehehe! Lunch just got served! Fawful has done it again!" a funny voice cackles.  
"Fawful???!!! You again???!!!" Bowser roars.  
"Are you two the ones behind Bowsay and Pumpkin's harsh ways?" Shadow demands.  
"Indeed we are, customers!" Fawful answers. "Those two girls are as easy to train as apples and bananas, as peanut butter and jelly, as chips and-!"  
"Enough with the food metaphors, Fawful!!!!!!" Mephiles interrupts angrily.  
"What're yeh even doin' here?" Bowser demands. "Doncha know we have no time fer both of yeh?!"  
"Careful your words, Bowser!" Shadow whispers. "Any wrong word we say may only make everything worse!"  
"If you two wish to see you loved ones again, then follow us," says Mephiles, creating a Dark Portal.  
"We'll be waiting for you with ice cream and cake and cookies and-!"  
In annoyance, Mephiles pushes Fawful into the Dark Portal. He then says, "We'll be waiting," and disappears through the Portal.  
"Geez, that Fawful makes meh wanna puke!" Bowser claims. "I can see how that evil Mephiles thing would push him into anything..."  
"Mephiles!" Shadow starts to run after him, but Bowser stops him.  
"Shadow! How do we know if we can trust 'em? What if they're just trying to-?"  
"Bowser, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME FOR THIS! We can't let them get away! Do you wanna see Junior and Bowsay again?!"  
Bowser shortly pauses, then says, "Yes I would."  
"I thought so," Shadow replies, "and I wanna see Tails and Pumpkin as well. Jumping through the Portal is all we got. We got this, Bowser."  
Shadow and Bowser handshake-hi-five. They then let go and jump through the Portal.


	32. Bowser Jr. vs. Bowsay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowser Jr.  
> \----------------------------------------------  
> Before you have any concerns, I'm gonna let you know now that just because Bowser is supposed to have eaten brains DOESN'T mean that this fanfic is going in any sort of PG-13 direction... Just so you know.  
> I'm currently playing Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and it's such an amazing game! I'm at the part where I have to revive the Pi'illo Masters so I can enter the Pi'illo Temple and awaken the Zeekeeper! AH IT'S GETTING SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!  
> Here's a joke for this chapter (If you've played Dream Team then you already know this joke):  
> Why are Seadrings called Seadrings?
> 
> Because you can SEE D RINGS!!!!!  
>  Lol, I love how in Dream Team Mario falls because it's a stupid joke, but Luigi actually thought it was funny! I would have been Mario at that part, lol... Who would you have been, Mario or Luigi? Comment! And if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to vote!  
>  Have a great day and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

No... no no no... My sister has become so evil already... I didn't think it would happen so soon...  
OOMPH! Blabbery biscuits, these comet rides are even worse that those Dark Portals...  
"Hello brother," I hear my sister say. I look up and see her staring at me, her ponytail blowing in the wind. She has an evil smile.  
"Did you miss me?"  
"Bowsay..." I struggle to stand up. "How... What happened to you?"  
"What happened to me?" she cackles. "The works of the ancient Koopa Emperors and Philosophers have taught me so much... But now, I have realized the truth about everything."  
"The truth about everything? What do you mean?" What could Bowsay be talking about?  
"You don't know the truth about mother, do you?"  
Mother? I never knew my mother... Ever since Papa lied to me that Princess Peach was my mother, I haven't really thought of my possible mother since...  
"It's okay, I have proof right here." Bowsay holds up an audio recorder.  
"Leave, Clawdia!" I hear my dad roar. "LEAVE!!!"  
So Clawdia's her name? What could she have done that made Papa wanna leave? And leave what?  
"But Bowser, I only-" my mother started. Then Papa interrupted,  
"You mustn't be here! You cannot!"  
What's happening? Why is Papa yelling at her? What did she do?  
"Honey, please, trust me! I know-"  
"No, yeh don't-"  
"LET ME FINISH!!!!! For goodness sake!" My mother growled.  
There was a pause, then a sound sounding like an object falling to the floor. What was that?  
"If you can't do this, then I'm gonna eat your brain!" Dad grumbled.  
Papa eats brains???!!! What???!!!  
"No, Bowser! NOOOOO!!!!!" My mother cried. My father roared while my mother screamed. Then there was silence. Dead silence. The audio stops.  
"Did Papa just eat... our mother's... brain?"  
"You say so, brother," Bowsay answers.  
"You see, the Koopa Kingdom believed in peace for all generations... Until our selfish Papa came to the throne and used violence as the answer."  
No. How could Papa do that? How could he kill our mother? Has he just been using me the whole time? Has he really been born teaching me wrong all my life? Has everything been going over my head? Am I really the son of King Bowser?  
"And you, Bowser Jr.!" my sister interrupts my thoughts.  
What? What did I do?  
"Father had to pick you as his favorite," she growls, "so he broke the ancient Koopa Code that has been used since the beginning of the reign of the kingdom, and made you, the youngest son, heir to the throne! Because you had to look 'just like him'!"  
"Hey! It's not my fault I look just like him! You look just like him too! After all, you ARE my twin!" How could Bowsay threaten me so much?!  
"Perhaps we should go back to the time when we were Baby Koopalings," Bowsay suggests.  
Before I can say a word, Bowsay throws a gadget in front of me. The gadget ten displays a life-size holographic image.  
What is this place? It all looks so familiar...  
Papa's castle!  
"C'mere kids! It's finally happening!" I hear my dad call.  
I turn around and see Papa holding two eggs - a pink one and a green one.  
"Now who do you think those two eggs are?" Bowsay questions me.  
"That's... That's us!" I realize.  
"Hey Papa, over here-!"  
"He can't hear you," Bowsay informs me. "This is just a flashback."  
As I keep watching, I see all my seven other siblings run in the room.  
"Ooo! Is another egg hatching?" Lemmy asks, busting through the door on his giant ball.  
"Get out of the way, Lemmy!" Larry complains, kicking Lemmy off his ball.  
"Ooo, this seems like another unusual circumstance!" Iggy says looking demented (like he always does).  
"Stop with the big words, Iggy!" Morton Jr. roars. "All you ever do is talk like you wanna-"  
"Shut up with the talking, Morton!" Roy interrupts.  
Finally, Ludwig walks in and realizes the catastrophe of all the other Koopalings.  
"SILENCE!!!!!!!!!" He roars.  
All the other Koopalings stop talking and stare at him. Golly, they're all so young...  
"Thank yeh, Ludwig," Papa praises my eldest brother and pats him on the head. "Yeh're gonna be a big bad leader after me!"  
"I know, Father, I know!" Ludwig claims. But he doesn't know that all of that will be taken away from him in a few minutes...  
"Hey guys! Wait for me!" I hear a little girl's voice call. Wendy O.!  
"I'm sorry I'm late, Papa," she apologizes, "but do I have to watch another egg hatch? It's just gonna be another boy, and I wanna have a sister!"  
"Well, great news, little girl!" Papa smiles. "Yeh're about to have another brother, BUT yeh're also about to have a sister!"  
"Ew!" "Gross!" "Another girl in the family?!" "Why?!" My brothers don't seem excited...  
"Oh poor me," Bowsay taunts, "no one even wanted me before I hatched!"  
"Wendy did!" I remind her, but she ignores me.  
"Yay! I can finally have someone I play with!" Wendy squeals in excitement. However, her mood suddenly changes. "But will that mean I have to share my things with her?"  
"Yes, Wendy," Papa answers, "yeh'll have to share with your new sister."  
"WAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!" Wendy O. cries. "I DON'T WANT A SISTER NOW!!!!!!"  
"Now now, children, let's be good to your new siblings!" Papa roars.  
The two eggs start hatching. The pink egg hatches first.  
That's Bowsay.  
The green egg then hatches.  
That's me.  
"Everyone welcome yehr new siblings!"  
"Hi new brother and sister..." "Welcome to the Koopa family..."  
The rest of my siblings don't seem excited about our birth... How could they?  
Ludwig is the only one that looks excited. Which is weird, because Ludwig's normally really mean to me...  
"Why they're wonderful, Papa!" He runs up to me and Bowsay. "Can I hold one of them?"  
"Sure thing, Ludwig!"  
Papa hands Ludwig Baby Bowsay. Baby Bowsay giggles at the sight of her older brother.  
"Aw, look at you!" I nudge Bowsay, but she keeps crossing her arms and giving me a mean stare. Dang, Bowsay, lighten up for once!  
"Aw, she's so perfect!" Ludwig states. "They both look so much like you, Papa!"  
"Yup, they sure do!" Papa agrees. My baby self looks up at Papa and smiles. I smile too. I walk up to see my baby self. Aw, I look so adorable!  
"Pa-pa!" My baby self says.  
"Hey, lookie here! This kiddo already knows his first word!" Says my dad.  
And he's right. "Papa" was my first word. I couldn't be prouder of it.  
"He's gonna grow up to be very smart," Papa predicts, "and he'll be a big bad kicking-butt leader of the Koopa Troop after I die!"  
Ludwig then stops rocking Baby Bowsay and shoots my father a shocking look.  
"Are you saying that I'm not the heir to the Koopa throne anymore?!"  
So that's why Ludwig's been mean to me... He wants the throne from me...  
"Look at you! Yeh lil' ferocious monster!" Papa ignores Ludwig and teases my baby self after I try to bite his finger. "I'm gonna call you Bowser Junior!"  
"BOWSER JUNIOR! BOWSER JUNIOR!" My siblings shout. They seem a little more exciting after hearing the name.  
"Papa, would you like to hold your new daughter?!" Ludwig tries to distract Papa, still angry that the throne had just been taken away from him.  
"Meh new daughter? What new daughter?"  
"A-HEM!" Ludwig holds out Baby Bowsay.  
"Oh, uh, right... Take Bowser Jr., Ludwig - and don't hurt him!"  
While Ludwig is still in anger, he and Papa trade.  
"Oh, Papa..." Bowsay clenches her fist, "it had only been a few minutes, and you had already FORGOTTEN ME!!!!!!!!"  
Trying to ignore my sister, I watch Papa with Baby Bowsay.  
"You also look just like me... except for the pink and purple colors, you get that from meh Mama," Papa observes. "You look very quiet, but very intelligent... Now, say 'Papa'!"  
Baby Bowsay just stares at Papa in silence.  
"C'mon, lil' girl, say 'Papa'!"  
"Pa... pa..."  
"That's meh girl!" Papa congratulates. "I'm gonna name yeh... Bowsay."  
"YAY BOWSAY! YAY BOWSAY!" The Koopalings cheer.  
"Yay Bowsay!" Wendy O. cheers one time by herself. "I finally have a sister!"  
Papa smiles. "Bowser Jr., Bowsay, welcome to the Koopa Family!"  
Suddenly, a wall starts to bang, and sirens start to go off.  
"That's Mario," Papa informs us. "Morton, take Bowsay. Quick everyone - get out!"  
All the Koopalings run out of the room as Mario breaks through the wall.  
"Ok, we all know what happens next," Bowsay interrupts. "Mario defeats Papa and rescues Princess Peach, blah blah blah blah blah..."  
"Why are you showing me this?" I demand of her. What does all this have to do with anything?  
"Patience, brother," Bowsay replies, "there's more!"  
The scene changes to Kamek's Library when we're slightly older. Kamek is educating me, Bowsay, and the rest of the Koopalings. We're all reading right now.  
"Now, Bowser Jr., what book are you currently reading?" Kamek asks.  
"The Tales of Gremmy the Goomba!" My past self shouts.  
Oh my gosh, I remember reading those books! Those were my favorite books ever!  
"QUIET JUNIOR! WE'RE IN A LIBRARY!" The rest of the Koopalings whisper loudly.  
"You're always reading those books..." Kamek complains.  
Well sorry, Kamek, I loved them a lot!  
"Now, Bowsay, what might you be reading this time?" Kamek asks.  
"The Works and Philosophies of Zeno Koopa!" past-Bowsay answers.  
Kamek's face then turns to shock.  
"Z-Z-Zeno Koopa? At your age?" the Magikoopa questions.  
"Yes!" past-Bowsay exclaims. "Zeno Koopa believed that anything that causes us to suffer in life is actually an error in our judgment, and that we should always have absolute control over our emotions!"  
"Woah, woah, princess - SLOW DOWN!" Kamek is shocked at how much Bowsay knows at such a young age.  
"Wow! Great job Bowsay!" Ludwig praises. "You're definitely going to be better leader than your twin brother when you grow up! Gimme a fist bump!"  
As past-Bowsay jumps and gives Ludwig a fist bump, all the other Koopalings stare at her while Wendy is the only one smiling. My past self then complains, "HEY!!!!! When I'm leader, I'm gonna be better than ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!"  
"Um, Bowsay," Kamek tries to change the subject, "Are you sure you don't wanna read The Adventures of Princess Peach?"  
"No, that story's boring!" Bowsay says. "At the end of the story, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by a monster! I don't like that ending!"  
"You must not know who that monster is, then, do you?" Kamek questions past-Bowsay.  
"I do now," present-Bowsay mumbles.  
Just before past-Bowsay can speak, the alarms go off.  
"Mario is in the castle!" Kamek informs us. "Everyone report to your stations! Koopalings, report to your rooms IMMEDIATELY!"  
All of us evacuate the library, but then Bowsay starts running towards the table we were just sitting at.  
"What are you doing sis?" Wendy O. demands. "We need to get out of here now!"  
"I forgot my book!" Bowsay answers. "I need to go back and get it!"  
As Bowsay picks up her book, Ludwig runs back and picks her up. "I got you, Bowsay!"  
Present-Bowsay and I follow past-Bowsay and Ludwig through Papa's castle.  
As it gets pitch-black, Ludwig trips, dropping past-Bowsay.  
"Ludwig!" she screams. "Help!"  
"Bowsay, just get up and keep running!" Ludwig orders.  
Past-Bowsay gets up, and present-Bowsay and I follow. Where could she be going?  
When past-Bowsay sees light at last, she immediately runs toward it. As present-Bowsay and I catch up, we see the room where Princess Peach is being help captive.  
"Ah, this day," present-Bowsay says. "This was the day when I learned how cruel Papa truly was. The Koopalings already knew, but you didn't know, Junior... yet."  
Yet? Oh gosh, what more could happen? I don't remember my childhood that well...  
"Are you... are you Princess Peach?" past-Bowsay asks.  
"Yes, little one," Peach answers. "and who might you be?"  
"I'm Bowsay! And my daddy is the awesome King Bowser!"  
"Oh... I'm sure you have an awesome father..."  
"What's wrong, Princess Peach?"  
"It's your father..."  
"What about him?" Past-Bowsay pauses.  
"The monster that kidnapped Peach at the end of the book...  
"Princess Peach, was that monster who kidnapped you my father?!"  
"Yes..." Princess Peach answers. "Did he ever tell you?"  
"No..."  
"Oh... I was sure all of Bowser's children knew. At least seven of them do. I didn't know he had another daughter!"  
"Yes, and he has another son, who happens to be my twin..."  
Past-Bowsay gasps. "You mean Ludwig and Larry and Iggy and Lemmy and-"  
"Yes, little one, those seven." Peach closes her eyes.  
"Why would Papa tell those seven and not me?" Past-Bowsay questions. She then shakes her head and continues,  
"You're so nice, Princess Peach," Bowsay affirms. "I don't see why my father would kidnap you!"  
A banging sound then comes from Peach's room.  
"Run, little one, before your father sees you!" Peach warns past-Bowsay. Past-Bowsay then runs away.  
"I should've known the truth about Papa the whole time," present Bowsay tells me. "But once I figured out, I isolated myself from everyone ever since."  
After Mario defeats Papa and leaves with Princess Peach, Papa, all beaten and bruised, commands, "Kids, stay behind. I'm goin' on vacation. Bowser Jr., Bowsay, come with me!"  
"I don't wanna go with you, Papa!" Past-Bowsay snaps.  
"Oh c'mon, Bowsay, have fun!" Papa tries to encourage her.  
"I'm not gonna have fun," Past-Bowsay claims. "I'd rather stay home with the rest of the Koopalings!"  
"Er, fine..." Papa looks at younger me.  
"C'mon, son, we're gonna have a blast!"  
"Alright, Papa!"  
Papa and my past self chest bump.  
I love you so much, Papa!  
"Oh, and by the way, before we leave, I want yeh ter have this!" Papa hands me my magic graffiti brush. Hello, beautiful!  
"Oh my gosh Papa, where did you get this?" Past-me asks in awe.  
"I stole it from a strange old man in a white coat," Papa answers.  
"Alright, we're off! Kamek, take good care of meh kids!" Papa and I depart on an airship. This was when we were going to Isle Delfino!  
"Aw no fair! Why can't we go on any vacation?!" Larry complains.  
Using over-dramatic expressions and body language, Iggy replies, "I know right! To us he's always like, 'YOU'RE MY KIDS, GET BACK TO WORK!' But then with Junior he's like 'Oh I'm gonna give you such special treatment because you're just like me!'"  
"Iggy! Calm yourself!" Ludwig commands. "We all do not think it's fair!"  
"Bowsay, why didn't you wanna go on vacation with Papa and Junior?" Wendy O. questions. "I would've taken that opportunity in a heartbeat!"  
"It's just that... Papa's... never mind."  
Past-Bowsay then runs away to be alone.  
The scene then changes to the airship.  
"Now yeh see this lady, Junior?" Papa shows my younger self a picture of Princess Peach. "This is yehr mama, Mama Peach!"  
But now I know what happened to my real mama.  
"And see this man?" Papa shows me a picture of Mario. "This is Mario. He kidnapped yehr mama!"  
"My mama is... a human?" I ask. I remember that I figured the whole time that Peach wasn't my mama. I never really thought of my real mama at the time though...  
"Um, yeah... All ye Koopalings just happened to be Koopalings and not humans, hehe!"  
I can tell even more now that Papa was making it all up.  
"Well, if you want me to fight this Mario, then I'll do it for you," I promised. That was how much I loved Papa.  
"That's my boy!" Papa says. "Now, use that Magic Brush of yours and go get 'em, kid!"  
Papa gives me a fist bump. My past self then uses my Magic Brush to paint one of my bibs into my Shadow Mario bib.  
The scene then changes to Papa and I outside Isle Delfine. We were just defeated by Mario and his F.L.U.D.D. Papa and I are sitting on top of our hot tub out at the sea, watching the island.  
"Junior," Papa begins, "I've got something... difficult... to tell you about Princess Peach..."  
"I know, she's not really my mama..." I interrupt.  
Papa stares at me in shock. Well, I kinda wasn't stupid Papa...  
My younger self then begins to say, "Someday... when I'm bigger..."  
I pause, look at Papa, and declare, "I wanna fight that Mario again!"  
And I have. Several times.  
"That's my boy! Well put, son!" Papa praises me. "The royal Koopa line is as strong as ever! But for now... Let's just rest awhile."  
The flashback ends, and the scene changes back to the dry, rocky desert.  
"You thought you knew everything, did you not, Junior?" Bowsay slowly walks in circles around me.  
"You see, no one ever loved you!"  
"Papa loved me..." I protest. But I'm starting to have second thoughts about everything now...  
"Yes, but what good in the world did Papa ever do? He only rules the Koopa Troop using evil and violence, plus he killed our mother, AND he had to pick YOU as his favorite!"  
"Hey, he picked me, I didn't choose it!" Why does Bowsay always blame me for everything?  
"You've only been spoon-fed all your life, Junior. Papa just always tried to convince you that you were SO amazing! But, if you come with me..." Bowsay reaches out her claw, "...I can show you everything else you missed due to Papa's mistakes!"  
"Never!" I shout, but that was just what my instincts were telling me to say. Should I really trust Bowsay?  
"No?" Bowsay threatens, "Well if 'no' is your answer, then I'm going to finish you, brother, once and for all!"  
Great, do I have to fight my own sister? If this was just a normal day back at the castle, then I'd be ready to rip her to shreds, but now that I know more and she is who she is... How can I do this?  
"Take THIS!" Bowsay breathes blue fire, but I quickly jump out of the way and dodge it.  
I take out my Magic Graffiti Brush and strike her with paint.  
No, did I hurt her? I don't wanna hurt her...  
Bowsay shakes the paint off.  
Impossible! No one can get my paint off that easily!  
"Not bad for basic, brother." Biwsay then gives me an evil smile. Uh oh, what is she up to now?  
"But let me show you what REAL power is!" She says.  
A small odd-looking bat flies by.  
"Come, Antasma! Lend me your power!" Bowsay commands.  
"I vill do vhatever you vish, Bowsay! SCREEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!" The bat then flies into Bowsay.  
I remember Papa talking about Antasma... He said Antasma gave him such cool moves! So... why would Papa ditch someone as awesome as Antasma?  
"Now let us determine who is the REAL heir to the Koopa throne!" Bowsay threatens.  
Oh no, how am I gonna defeat her now? She's already become too powerful... Wait a minute, what is that in the air out in the distance?  
My Junior Clown Car! With this and my magic paintbrush, I'll be unstoppable!  
"Impossible..." Bowsay mutters under her breath. Then she roars, "Maybe you have yourself a little more help, but that little flying piece of junk you have cannot compare to Antasma's power!"  
"Bring it on, sis!" I threaten. I am not gonna let her get away with this!  
Bowsay starts breathing purple fireballs at me.  
Those fireballs must be Antasma's power!  
I dodge all the fireballs in my Junior Clown Car.  
Bowsay then jumps up to attack me.  
Take this, sis! My Junior Clown Car changes to an angry face and uses its built-in boxing gloves to punch Bowsay.  
Wait, what? Did Bowsay just jump right through it? Did she turn all ghostly?  
OW!!!!!! Bowsay just hit me from behind and knocked me out of my Clown Car! How did she even do that???!!!  
Bowsay tries to work the Clown Car, but all she can do is steer it.  
"Your gadgets are so complicated, brother," she informs.  
"Yeah, I know, because they're MY gadgets!"  
I jump up and strike her with my brush, knocking her out of the Car.  
"Thank you, I'll take that," I say, hopping back in my Car.  
Bowsay breathes more fire, blue and purple. I shoot cannonballs and breathe my own fireballs.  
Bowsay then jumps up to the Junior Clown Car. She jumps right through the Car at first, but before she can hit me, I turn around, take out the boxing gloves, and...  
BAM!  
Bowsay falls to the ground. Antasma flies out of her.  
I hope I didn't hurt you too much...  
If this was a typical fight between me and my twin, I'd be saying, "That serves you right, sis!" But I just can't this time...  
Instead, I end up asking, "Are you okay, Bowsay?"  
Catching her breath, Bowsay recovers and says, "You've fought very well in the Real World, brother."  
"Why do you keep calling me 'brother'?" I demand. "Can't you at least call me 'Bowser Jr.' or just 'Junior'?" She never called me "brother" before...  
"But when I'm in the Dream World, Junior," Bowsay continues, "Antasma's powers will be ten thousand times more than the puny powerless Koopa you are. You won't have your machine junk to save you, and your Magic Brush won't be enough!"  
"We'll see about that, sis!" I believe I can take down anything in my path with my Magic Brush, even in the Dream World! But I've never been to this Dream World before..  
"Antasma, let us flee away from here!" Bowsay commands.  
"I vill do at your command, Bowsay! SCREEEEEEK!!!!!!" Antasma replies. And boy, he can SCREEK...  
"Beware, brother, I will be back..." my sister warns. Holding on to Antasma, she flies away.  
"Bowsay! Wait! I'm not through with you yet!" I try to catch up to her in my Junior Clown Car... Darn it! She disappeared into smoke...  
Why did my sister show me so many childhood flashbacks? What is she trying to tell me? I know Papa's evil and all, but he has all this cool strength and fire-breathing power, and that's what makes him awesome! That's why I'm proud to be his son! I'll always be willing to help him, even if he lies to me about my mother!  
Wait a minute... my mother... Bowsay played that audio for me of Papa killing our mother... Papa killed our mother... PAPA KILLED OUR MOTHER!!!!!!!  
How could he do such a thing???!!! I mean, I understand why he would kill Mario, everyone wants to kill him, but our MOTHER???!!! And the audio said he ate her brain... He ate her brain... Does that make Papa a CANNIBAL???!!! I'M SO CONFUSED!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!  
But I don't know if I can trust Papa anymore. He has taken such good care of us all without a mother, but... Believe me, I asked Ludwig, he didn't even know our mother... But what if one day, Papa thinks he's too good for his children, and so he eats us all to become more powerful... What if he starts with me???!!!  
I replay Bowsay's words in my head,  
"You see, the Koopa Kingdom believed in peace for all generations... Until our selfish Papa came to the throne and used violence as the answer."  
I probably wouldn't've thought of all this before, but now that Bowsay has knocked sense into me, I understand what she's thinking.  
I can't go back to Papa. He's becoming too evil. One day, he's gonna become so evil that not even Mario can crush his plans. All the universe is gonna set to his flames... And he'll be too evil to care about his children anymore, not even me. He'll crush that Egghead to eggshells.  
But I can't go back to Bowsay either. She's also becoming so evil, especially with Antasma. And according to the video, she and Pumpkin plan to take over the world... But if Fawful is gonna kill her and resurrect Cackletta, then that means...  
NAGGING NANNERS, WHERE AM I EVEN GOING WITH ALL THIS???!!! I'M THINKING EVERYTHING TOO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!  
But long story short, I can't go back to Papa, and I can't go back to Bowsay. But where do I go?  
I guess, one we get back to the present time, I'm just gonna have to live on my own. I can get by enough with my Paintbrush and Clown Car. And hopefully I'll bring Metal Sonic along with me, if Eggman doesn't kill him...  
"Junior, m'boy, are yeh okay?"  
Oh no. It's Papa.


	33. Tails vs. Pumpkin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Tails
> 
> \-------------------------------------------  
>  Hey readers! I am SOOOOOOOO sorry I haven't updated in forever! I recently had a choir trip and I have exams coming up, so my school schedule has been dry hectic. Thank you everyone who's still reading this!  
>  So apparently for Chapter 28 (the chapter where Tails, Junior, Shadow, and Bowser meet) it says "Invalid URL" and the chapter won't come up! So I'm gonna have to rewrite the WHOLE CHAPTER ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I'm gonna save my chapters somewhere. I deleted them off my phone because I felt like they were taking up so much space, but now I have more storage, so I'm gonna save them all to my phone as soon as I'm done typing this. Ugh I'm SO READY FOR SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!  
>  QOTD: Anyone watch YouTuber SuperMarioLogan? If so, what's your favorite video by him?  
>  AOTD: All of his videos are hilarious! The first SML video I watched was Bowser Jr.'s Breakfast. SML is the most accurate way I imagined Bowser Jr. in 3rd grade (which now I'm about to finish 10th grade holy crap!!!!!)  
>  Have a great day and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

This liquid I'm in... This is Chaos's liquid! Oh my, I thought I was gonna drown, it feels so good to breathe...  
"Hello Tails," I hear my sister say. I look up and see her standing in front of me.  
"Pumpkin... What happened to you?" I ask, struggling to stand up.  
"What happened to me?" Pumpkin laughs. "I thought that staying away from the world was the only answer... But now, I know that the only answer is to fight the world!"  
"Fight the world?" I question. "I thought you didn't wanna hurt anyone?"  
"No, I didn't then," Pumpkin answers. "But too many people have hurt me, and so now it's time for payback!"  
"But Pumpkin, you always stayed home back at the workshop! You hardly talked to anyone! How could people have hurt you?"  
"I could never forgive myself for what I did to mother." Pumpkin closes her eyes and clenches her fist. Then she opens her eyes and says, "Perhaps we should look back and learn from the past," my sister suggests. She then throws out a small gadget, which displays a life-sized holographic image of a flashback.  
The flashback starts with Tails and I as baby fox pups. We're jumping up and down, and I have a feeling I know what we're trying to do...  
"Miles! Pumpkin! What are you two doing?" I hear the voice that I've been longing to hear forever.  
I see my beautiful mother, with her smoothe fur, sparkly blue eyes, and her lovely motherly voice. She's everything a perfect mother can be.  
I miss you, Mother.  
"Pumpkin and I are trying to see if we can fly with our two tails!" my past self informs excitingly.  
"I'm gonna get it first, Miles!" my past-sister teases. She then jumps, but then she falls.  
"Who said you would beat me, sis?" I teases. I then jump, and then start to hover a little bit.  
"I'm almost there!" I then jump again, and start floating.  
"I did it!" I then stick my tongue out at me and tease Pumpkin, "I knew I could figure it out first!" I see Pumpkin pouting.  
"Very good, my boy! Very good!" My mother cheers, clapping her paws.  
"Mama, why does Miles have to learn before me? I'm older than him!" Baby Pumpkin complains.  
"Don't be afraid, my girl, for your time will come," my mother comforts her. "You may be older than him, but only by one second. You will be okay."  
Come back to us, Mother. Make us okay again.  
Past-Pumpkin then makes a confident face and keeps trying to jump. Then, her two tails finally hover at the right speed, and she starts to fly, which is about to change our lives forever.  
"Mama! Mama! I'm flying!" she shouts.  
"Very good, Pumpkin! Very good!" my mother congratulates. I see how proud she is of her. I can see it in her smile, her eyes, her face, everything.  
But everything's about to change, Mother.  
My father then comes behind my mother.  
"Daddy! Daddy! I learned how to fly with my two tails!" I say.  
"I did too!" Pumpkin proudly claim.  
My father smiles. "Great job, children!"  
Baby Pumpkin then starts flying all over the place.  
"Now, Pumpkin, child, I know you are as happy as can be, but you must not use so much of your energy!" my mother informs her.  
"But mama, flying is so much fun!" She keeps flying wild.  
Pumpkin, what are you doing?!  
"Yes, it may be, Pumpkin, but you don't wanna hurt yourself!" my father warns her.  
"But Daddy, I can't stop!" Baby Pumpkin keeps laughing and flying out of control.  
Yes you can stop, Pumpkin!  
"Pumpkin!" my past self and I yell in sync, "Slow down!"  
At that moment, Pumpkin got a little too excited and a little out of control.  
She spins in the air, and the blue flame shoots out of her and strikes our mother in the heart.  
"NO!!!!!" the present-me shouts, but my past-family can't hear me.  
Why am I seeing this again? Why do I need to witness the event that ruined our lives forever? Everything changed, and nothing will ever be the same again...  
"Pumpkin!" I question, "Why are you showing me this?!"  
"Because we must refresh ourselves of the past in order to learn for the future," she answers.  
I then see my father bark in mourning. Then, as soon as Pumpkin leans over our mother's dying body, our father stares at her in shock and fear and runs away.  
Father, how could you?  
After my father runs, my baby self puts my paw on Baby Pumpkin's back. Then my baby self leans over and cries over our mother's body.  
My mother then says to Pumpkin her last words, "Pumpkin, dear... no matter how cruel the world may be... don't cry." At that moment, Pumpkin's crying calms down.  
"And Miles... Take good care of your sister."  
My mother stops breathing and her heart stops beating.  
"Miles, I didn't mean to, it was an accident, I swear! I don't know how I did it!" Pumpkin affirms to me.  
"I know you didn't Pumpkin, I know," I reply. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."  
All of a sudden, a bunch of robots surround us. Badniks.  
Dr. Eggman then walks in the circle.  
"Hohoho! Two foxes with two tails? You two creatures shall be my first prisoners!"  
This was the day the Doctor began his robot-power takeover of the world.  
"Pumpkin! We need to get out of here!" I demand.  
"I'm not flying, Miles! I don't wanna hurt anyone!" Past-Pumpkin says.  
My past sled gets angry at her, but then I use all my might to lift her and fly away from the Badniks.  
"If Pumpkin and I are gonna be safe from those robots and that man," I say, "then we're gonna have to have some robots ourselves!"  
"You see, brother, you may have loved you very much at first," Pumpkin says, "but everything changed when you met Sonic the Hedgehog."  
The scene changes to a few years after Pumpkin's catastrophe. I had to teach myself engineering in order for the two of us to survive. I'm currently out in the woods working on an invention.  
"Oh no, it's that Pumpkin Prower girl!" a voice taunts. "I'm so scared, don't kill me, oh no!" A monkey about my size then comes out of the tree.  
"Sorry, but I'm not Pumpkin Prower," I correct. "Pumpkin is my twin sister. I'm her brother, Miles Prower."  
"Oh, why it's Tails!" A giant gorilla swings down from another tree. "What's that little piece of junk you're making there? OOK OOK!"  
"It's not junk, and it's for my sister," I defend.  
"Oh, so you're still helping your sister?" a sly fox with one tail appears.  
"Yes, because I'm the only family she has, and she's afraid to go out into the world, so it's up to me to take care of her."  
You need me, Pumpkin. Stop all this nonsense and let me take care of you again.  
"Why would you help her? She already killed your mother!" the monkey taunts. At that moment, I clench my fists.  
"She didn't mean to do any of it at all! That's why she isolates herself from others, so she won't hurt anyone else, and so that people like YOU won't hurt her!"  
I love you, Pumpkin, and I'd do anything for you.  
"Ohhh, someone's mad!" the one-tailed fox smirks. "But honestly, as long as your sister is alive, you'll never get anywhere in life. And as for that cruddy invention..."  
"It's not cruddy!" I fight back. "It's to help Pumpkin relieve her stress and depression back at my workshop!"  
I remember that invention! Pumpkin needed it so much...  
But the monkey holds me back. The one-tailed fox laughs, and the gorilla raises his fist, about to smash his invention.  
"No! Please don't you guys! Leave it alone!" I struggle to break free from the monkey.  
"No! Keep away!"  
But the gorilla smashes the invention into pieces.  
Wow, I really went through so much for my sister...  
I then walk around with my destroyed invention.  
"This was going to help Pumpkin so much," I say, a small tear coming to my eye.  
A blue wind then rushes by. I then follows it and see Sonic.  
"Woah! That guy's cool!" I claim. I hops out of the bushes and follow the path. "I wonder where he's going!"  
I end up at a beach and see a red plane. The Tornado!  
"Wow! This plane look pretty fast!" I hop into the pilot's seat. "But I bet I can make it even faster!"  
The scene then fast-forwards to me painting the plane blue. Sonic then appears.  
"What do you think you're doing?" he asks, smirking.  
I hop down and explain, "Sorry, but when I see a machine, I can't help myself! I hope you don't mind I changed the engine to make it faster!"  
"Hm..." Sonic looks up at his newly modified plane. "I like what you did with the color too!"  
My past self smiles in appreciation and says, "Come and see what else I did!"  
"So, you've been following me around all morning to check out my airplane?" Sonic asks. "Or is there something else you want?"  
"Well, you see, I like to build and repair stuff," I put my head down and admit, "so they all make fun of me." I then look up at Sonic and continue, "You looked cool, so I followed you, and when I found your plane, I figured I'd fix it up and we could be friends! ...If you want to."  
"Really? What got you into building and repairing?" Sonic asks.  
"Well, I have a twin sister. And a few years ago, she caused a terrible accident that I don't wanna talk about..." I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and continue, "So I had to teach myself engineering so I could take care of her. But everyone often mistakes me for her, and when I tell them I'm her twin, they make fun of me and destroy my inventions..."  
"Well what's your name, pal?"  
Just look at that! Sonic already called me "pal"!  
"Miles Prower! Uh, but my friends call me Tails..."  
"And what's your sister's name?"  
"Pumpkin, Pumpkin Prower..."  
"Ah, I see, so you ARE Pumpkin's twin!" Sonic says, but he doesn't seem scared at all.  
My eyebrows raise in astonishment. "You know who she is?!"  
"Everyone knows who Pumpkin Prower is, even though no one really knows what happened to her after her accident," Sonic informs, "But don't worry, kid, I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Sonic!"  
Sonic looks back at the Tornado.  
"Nice job, Tails! I could use a mechanic and a friend!"  
I gasp. "You mean that?"  
Sonic gives a wink and a thumbs up, "Ha! You bet!"  
I love you, Sonic, and I'm so happy I met you!  
The scene then changes, and I see Pumpkin alone at my workshop.  
"Pumpkin!" I call her, "I want you to meet someone!"  
Pumpkin walks out the door and sees me with Sonic.  
"You must be Pumpkin Prower!" says Sonic. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"  
"He's a friend!" I tell her. "And he's going to help us so much!"  
"You have an awesome brother, Pumpkin, don't forget that!" Sonic affirms her.  
Pumpkin nods and smiles. She didn't really talk much back then...  
But then the scene changes to a few years later.  
I see Pumpkin again, alone at my workshop.  
"Can Tails hurry up and get here? I am sick and tired of waiting for him to get back from all his adventures," she says.  
She then walks outside to get some fresh air.  
"Not too far, Pumpkin, or else your gonna hurt yourself or someone else..." she mutters under her breath.  
She then spreads her arms out. "Tails, I know you're out there, and I hope you're still thinking about me... I hope you haven't forgotten me..."  
"You see, Pumpkin," Pumpkin explains, "As time passed, You spent more time with Sonic and less time with me. Your adventures always took forever, and whenever you came back, you barely even talked to me, because you were always talking to Sonic!"  
The flashback ends.  
"Pumpkin... I'm so sorry..." Did I really forget about Pumpkin that much?  
"It's okay, brother," says Pumpkin, but she doesn't sound very forgiving. "I know how to take care of myself now, and one day, all the people who have let me down will bow down to me and Bowsay!"  
"Pumpkin, I don't wanna let you down!" Pumpkin, please understand me...  
"Too late, Tails. You already have. So I'll be starting with you!"  
Oh no... is Pumpkin gonna try to hurt me? She never wanted to hurt anyone!  
Pumpkin quickly swipes her two tails, flames coming out of each one. I quickly jump out of the way. She then uses a rapid tail swipe attack, with flames coming out once again. I dodge it again.  
"You can't run away from me forever, brother!" Pumpkin threatens. "You're gonna have to fight to defeat ME!"  
I don't wanna fight her... but if I don't, then she's not gonna change back to who she was before.  
"Okay, I will!" I claim.  
"Oh really? Let's see if your puny junk can match my power!"  
Pumpkin then inhales and then exhales, releasing bolts of blue fire from her palms.  
Those were not as powerful as that huge bolt she made in the video...  
I can't directly hit her myself, or else she'll burn me. Lets see what my machines can do!  
Pumpkin uses a Spin Dash and aims it at me, leaving a trail of fire behind. I jump out of the way and attacked her with my Magic Hand. I haven't used that thing in forever...  
But I just hurt her.  
"Pumpkin, are you okay?" I ask, but I don't know I should get near her...  
"Oh yes, Tails," Pumpkin says, coughing in between, seeming like she's struggling, "I'm... Perfectly... FINE!"  
Ouch! She just tail swiped me in the stomach and knocked me down! Come on, Tails, hang in there...  
"Is that all you got, brother?" My sister says. Why is she calling me "brother" a lot?  
Pumpkin jumps and gets into a ball, about to jump on me. Before she jumps on my, I take out my Energy Cannon on my arm and blast an energy ball at her, sending Pumpkin back on the ground.  
I get up, but I don't get near her this time. I hope I didn't hurt her too much...  
All of a sudden, the pure blue liquid of Chaos flows into Pumpkin. Pumpkin's two tails grow even longer  
"I may have gone easy on you this time, Tails," Pumpkin says, "but having Chaos on my team is a completely different story!"  
Pumpkin swipes her tails, but this time her tails stretch far and hit me. Thats just like how Chaos stretches it's arms.  
I aim my Energy Cannon at Pumpkin, but before I can fire, Pumpkin bounces and sends off a wave that hits me.  
Oh no, how am I gonna defeat her now? She's becoming stronger...  
All of a sudden, I see a blue plane with a large missile launcher under it. The Cyclone!  
As the blue plane gets closer, it transforms into its walking mode. I jump into the pilot's seat. Sweet!  
"Another junky machine of yours?" Pumpkin insults. "Ha! Chaos could shut that thing down in its sleep!"  
"We'll see about that, sis!"  
I fire missiles from the Cyclone, but Pumpkin blocks them all with a forcefield.  
"Ha! Your missiles aren't enough for me!" Pumpkin taunts.  
Pumpkin then turns into a ball and bounces, sending off an energy wave after every bounce. My Cyclone jumps over them all.  
Pumpkin then turns into liquid and starts moving on the Cyclone, trying to take over the machine. Before the Cyclone's legs can shake her off, Pumpkin kicks me out of the machine and takes over.  
"How does your junk even function, Tails?"  
She really doesn't know machinery, does she?  
Ok, so somehow I have to get her out of there without breaking the Cyclone itself...  
"Aha! Here's something I can actually work!" Pumpkin starts firing missiles at me. I jump and dodge them all, but just barely. I just had to make those things fly so fast...  
Quickly, I jump up and knock Pumpkin out of the pilot's chair as I take over again. While Pumpkin is down I fire a missile at her.  
Oh no, what did I do... How bad did I hurt her?  
I jump out of the Cyclone, but I don't get too near my sister, or else she might hurt me.  
But why did I have to hurt her?  
"Are you okay, Pumpkin?" I ask.  
"Urgh..." Pumpkin struggles to stand up. "You've fought well brother... But Chaos only had one Emerald." Pumpkin stands all the way up.  
"But once Chaos has all seven Emeralds, we will be unstoppable, and your machines and junk won't be enough!  
"Chaos, let us flee!" Chaos surrounds Pumpkin as Pumpkin drowns in the liquid and disappears in it.  
"Pumpkin!"  
What... What has happened to my sister... She really isn't the Pumpkin I remember... Why did she show me all these flashbacks, especially the flashback of Mother's death? And from when I met Sonic? What is she trying to tell me? Is she aware that Mephiles is gonna kill her?  
But Sonic... Sonic's the best friend I ever asked for. We've been by each other's side ever since we first met. He has helped me make me who I am. I don't know where I would be without him. But... did I really spend too much time with him and not enough time with Pumpkin? Now that I think about it, Pumpkin really needed me, more than Sonic, yet somehow I ignored her.  
I'm so sorry, Pumpkin. This isn't what Mother or Father would've wanted. I hope Father is still alive out there...  
"Tails!" A voice interrupts my thoughts. I turn around and see Shadow.


	34. Bowser vs. Fawful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update July 6, 2015: I added another villain and extended the Bowser-Midbus fight.  
> Update #2: This other villain announces a secret about Bowsay-it's a big PLOT TWIST!

YAAAAARGH!!!!!!! Well, that Dark Portal ride wasn't so bad... I guess I was more ready for it...  
"Well well well, look who actually came to get mashed like mashed potatoes!"  
"FAWFUL! Whaddaya want NOW?!" Ugh he irritates me...  
"Bowser! Did you come to apologize?" Fawful says with his huge grin.  
"Apologize? Apologize fer what?" What did I ever do to Fawful? He's the one who started it all in the first place!  
"Not to me, fool! To Junior, and to Bowsay, and to Clawdia!"  
"Clawdia?" Clawdia was my mate, but something terrible happened to her years ago, and I don't wanna talk about it... But why should I be the one apologizing?  
"Yes, Bowser, your mate whom after her death you decided to turn evil as curdled milk!" Fawful laughs.  
"Don't blame me! I didn't choose to be evil! And besides, you promised I could see Bowsay again!"  
"So you blame Fawful for the mess, hm?" he laughs even more. "Fawful doesn't like blame. Fawful will remind you how it all happened."  
Fawful throws out a small block. The block unfolds and creates a life-size projection. Oh great, right when I didn't wanna talk about it, here it is...  
The projection shows what the Koopa Troop's castle looked like before I... Never mind that. Anyways, there's a monstrous Koopa with a dark green shell and dark brown scales. His eyes are very sleek. I remember him.  
That's my father.  
"Tyrannus! Tyrannus!" A female monster's voice calls. A beautiful monstrous Koopa with periwinkle scales, a light blue-turquoise shell, and more round eyes, runs in carrying an egg.  
That's my mother.  
"What's goin' on, Amari?" Papa asks. So many of my minions who worked for him say I talk just like him...  
"My egg! It's finally hatching!"  
My Mama sets down the egg as my Papa checks it out. The egg finally cracks open, and out comes a little baby Koopa with a green shell, yellow scales, and round eyes.  
That's me.  
"Oh! It's a boy! Our boy!" My Mama rejoices. "He looks a lot like you, Tyrannus."  
"But he has your eyes, and your scales," Papa says, smiling. At least I have something from Mama. I really miss you, Mama. You understood everything so much more than Papa.  
Mama smiles back and suggests, "I would like to name him Tyrannus Jr., if that's alright."  
Good thing I wasn't named after Papa... I'll never forgive him for anything he did. He wouldn't be proud of me anyways...  
"I appreciate the thought, Amari, but he needs a new name," says Papa. Papa picks baby-me up and rocks me. I start to laugh and try to growl.  
"Hey there, kiddo! You're already a brave little monster!  
"Yeh're gonna be a strong, brave leader of the Koopa Troop," Papa says. "I'm sure yeh'll keep the peace all around, especially with Mushroom Kingdom! Queen Toadstool will appreciate yeh... At least she'll appreciate yeh better than me..."  
"Tyrannus! Do not say that!" Mama interrupts. "You have been a great leader! What makes you say all that?"  
Papa pauses, shakes his head and answers, "Never mind, dear. Now, fer our new kid, I think I'll name 'im... Bowser. That's the name of a true leader."  
"Bowser..." Mama repeats, "I love it! It's so perfect for him!"  
"Thank yeh, sweet Amari. Luv yah!"  
"I love you too, Tyrannus!"  
My parents touch noses, then baby-me says "I wuv you!"  
"WHAAAAAAT?????!!!!!" Is this even real?! "I could've sworn me first word was 'DIE', not 'I LUV YEH'!!!!!"  
"Apparently you were lied to your whole life, Bowser!" Fawful points out.  
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!! Why would people lie to me about my first word or phrase or whatever?! That's supposed to be a special moment in your life that you don't forget, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
The projection then fast-forwards closer to my adulthood. I see myself walking outside the Koopa Castle.  
"Rainbow Herb... Where is that Rainbow Herb?!" I growl.  
Oh my Goomba, I remember this... My father was sick with Koopamentiasis, a rare disease for Koopas that no one has found a cure for... But there was a legend of a Rainbow Herb that could cure all sicknesses, including Koopamentiasis! But no one had ever found it because... I'll get to that in a minute.  
"Looking for the Rainbow Herb, are you not?" an elegant female voice says.  
Past-me turns around and see her. The most beautiful, stunning creature in the world. The most beautiful yellow and pink scales, deep purple shell, and blue eyes I ever saw. The one true love of my life. Clawdia.  
"Well, yeah, I was, because-"  
"You won't be able to find one anymore," Clawdia interrupts.  
"What?" Past-me asks. "Whaddaya mean-?"  
"Never mind," she interrupts. "I'm looking for a place to live. My mate died of Koopamentiasis, and I need to find a place to take care of these seven eggs."  
"Oh my Goomba, I'm so sorry," I said. I remember my attention being caught when she said "Koopamentiasis."  
And those seven colored eggs are the Koopalings' eggs. They never knew their actual real father.  
"Wait a minute," Clawdia realizes, "are you the Koopa Prince? Prince Bowser Koopa? The son of King Tyrannus Koopa?"  
"Yeah, yeah I am," I quickly answer.  
"Oh, then I'll be gone if you want me out of your way-"  
"No, stay here. I'm sure yeh can help meh," I say.  
I search more, but I can't find anything.  
"I guess I'll have to continue searching tomorrow. Come with me, Clawdia, I'll take yeh to the castle!"  
"The castle!" exclaims Clawdia. "Oh my, I never thought I'd ever find myself in a real castle, especially the Koopa Castle!"  
She was so happy... What have I done...  
"But wait Prince Bowser, your majesty!" Clawdia interrupts.  
"Just call meh Bowser. What's the matter?"  
"Will your father, King Tyrannus, accept me?"  
"He doesn't have teh know yeh're here," I say. "He's currently being kept in a separate room. I know meh Mama will accept you."  
One of the symptoms of Koopmentiasis is extreme temper, so I was worried about how Papa would treat Clawdia.  
"Oh, thank you so much, Bowser! I need to settle down and take care of my kids!"  
As Clawdia and I walk to the castle, we have a nice-well, somewhat nice-conversation. I remember all of this.  
"So what was yehr recent mate like?" I asked Clawdia. But I really shouldn't've...  
"Oh, well..." Clawdia stops for a second, the answers, "He was nice. And I guess he was charming too, but he was mostly nice."  
"What made him so nice?"  
"Well, my parents died when I was little, and I had nowhere to go, so I found him-Wait no, I take that back, he found me-and I basically lived with his family most of my life. I was basically like a sister to him at first. But then we both got older, so we both had to leave, live our own lives! And then, he told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him too, but then he was like 'No, Clawdia, I really LOVE you.' I mean, I know siblings can't mate, I was basically an adopted sister, but I didn't have any of the same genes as him-"  
"It's okay, Clawdia," I interrupt. "Go on."  
I was so nice back then... What happened to me...  
"Oh, um, okay." She smiles, takes a deep breath, and continues, "Anyways he-"  
"Sorry teh interrupt again, but what was his name?"  
"Morton Koopa," she answered.  
Oh, at first I HATED that thing, and I never even knew him...  
"Morton had a black shell mostly brown scales and white on his head with a black star on his eye."  
That how I named Morton Jr. He looked exactly how Clawdia described the original Morton. Whenever people ask where the "Jr." comes from, I just wanna BURN them.  
"He was really nice to me growing up, but when we both went off together, I was kind of uncomfortable around him... He was starting to get kinda into my space a lot, and so at times I told him to back off. But he just kept coming closer and closer, and I felt like he was... he was..."  
"What? What was he doing?"  
"Never mind, Bowser. Anyways, I was really starting to feel angry at him, and it got to the point where I wanted to hurt him more than ever. I never thought I would think such violent thoughts about him...  
"One day, I was lucky enough to find the right answer to everything. I came across a Magikoopa in a light blue robe, and I knew he could do anything."  
"What was his name?"  
"His name was Kamek."  
My eyes brightened. "Kamek! He's the wisest and most powerful of all the Magikoopas! Surely he could've helped yah!"  
And he still is the best. Magikoopas were once known for their magical healing abilities, and anyone could go to them for anything. But then I... But then they changed.  
Clawdia then continues, "I had Kamek examine me and Morton. He then told us that we both had Koopamentiasis."  
I was about to tell Clawdia about Papa's Koopamentiasis, but I never did. Instead I said, "I'm sure he was able to fix y'all!"  
"Not really. Not even the most powerful Magikoopa could cure our Koopamentitis. He told us to find the Rainbow Herb if I wanted one of us to be cured. And so I decided to go. I went through many struggles to find the Rainbow Herb, but I did. But when I came back, both Morton and I were struggling and were almost dead. There was only one Rainbow Herb, so only one of us could be saved. I was originally going to save Morton, but he said I was more important because I was getting ready to lay an egg. He wanted to see me live, so I ate the Rainbow Herb while he was still alive. He then told me he loved me and was sorry for everything, and he died. I then asked Kamek if there was anything else he could do, but there was not, because all he could do was heal. But he encouraged me that there would be someone else out there who is willing to take care of me and my kid.  
"So then, as time passed, I finally laid my first egg. I was very upset that Morton was not there to see it. Then, however, I laid six more eggs, and they were all different colors. I wasn't sure why I laid seven eggs, but then I realized that they were all the seven colors of the rainbow. It was from eating the Rainbow Herb. I was in even more of a need to find a home. And then I found you, Bowser."  
As soon as aI learned that there was no more Rainbow Herb, I knew there was no hope in healing Papa.  
"I'm glad yeh found meh, Clawdia," I said. "Welp, we're here at the castle!"  
"Oh my!" Clawdia said in awe. "It's so beautiful!"  
I remember the Koopa Castle looking all this pretty... I wish it could've stayed that way.  
Past-me knocks on the castle gate, and a Koopa answers, "Koopa Castle, who is it?"  
"It's Bowser, and I've brought someone with meh!"  
The Koopa opens the gate and says, "Prince Bowser, your majesty! Who is this you bring with you?"  
"My name is Clawdia. I was looking for a home and a place to take care of my kids, and then Prince Bowser found me and decided to take me to his castle. You are lucky have a very nice and caring Prince in your kingdom."  
What I would do to go back to my old self...  
"That was a very nice act of you, Bowser," says the Koopa, "but what if the King does not accept her?"  
"He doesn't have teh know," I said. "He's being kept in a separate room anyways, right?"  
"Right, but please do be careful, your majesty!" Koopa warns.  
"Why, what's wrong with the King?" Clawdia asks.  
"Never mind," I answer, "just come inside."  
Past-me takes Clawdia into the castle and introduces her to my Mama.  
"Who is this that you brought with you, Bowser?"  
"This here is Clawdia. She needed a place to stay and to take care of her kids, so I brought her here."  
"Oh, what a lovely Koopa she is!" Mama says.  
"You must be Queen Amari!" exclaims Clawdia. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesty!"  
"You too, darling! You are welcome here!"  
I then whispered to Mama, "Just make sure Papa doesn't find out about her. I don't want him to hurt her."  
"Okay, sweetie, I won't!"  
None of my kids have ever had a mother to call them 'sweetie'...  
What?! I'm a MALE! I can't call them 'sweetie!' It's such a mother thing!  
"Why are you showing me all of this, Fawful?!" I demand. "What does it have to do with anything?! Just get to the point and be done already!!!!!"  
"We only just got the ingredients, Bowser," Fawful smirks. "Now it mixes all together!"  
Oh no, don't tell me I'm thinking what he's thinking...  
As time passes, Clawdia and I have spent more and more time together. Eventually, Clawdia lays two eggs, a green one and a pink one.  
Those are Junior and Bowsay.  
"Bowser! Bowser, honey!" my mother calls out, "your father would like to speak to you!"  
"Really? What does he need now?" I groan.  
"Clawdia, stay here now, and DON'T MOVE!" past-me warns.  
As I enter the room where Papa was being kept, Papa has a suspicious look on his face.  
"Bowser, son, I'm curious about yeh," he says.  
"What? What's the matter?" I looked confused. But this was bad...  
"Yeh haven't been actin' normal lately," Papa states. "Yeh're always saying yeh have 'somethin' else to do,' and yeh always are somewhere else away from the world."  
I had a bad feeling he was talking about me spending time with Clawdia, but I asked, "How could yeh know that? Yeh're always in this room!"  
"Several Koopas have told meh that yeh've been ignoring them whenever they try talkin' to yeh. What's yehr problem, son?"  
"Nothing's a problem, Papa. I'm okay, I promise."  
"Very well then. I hope yeh're not lyin' to me, son, or else yeh'll be severely PUNISHED!!!!!!!!"  
Why, Papa, why did you even live... I wish I didn't talk like you so much... I never wanted to be like you at all...  
Past-me comes back to Clawdia and tells her, "Clawdia, I'm gonna go on an evening walk. I just need to spend some time alone."  
"Okay, Bowser, I understand," she says.  
"And remember, don't-"  
"Don't go in your father's room, I know," Clawdia finishes cheerfully.  
So then I leave my castle for my walk. I had to get my nerves out for Clawdia getting beaten up, or worse, killed, by my Papa. I guess I thought it was worth it from what I remember, but that was so long ago...  
When past-me returns to the castle, I found that Clawdia was missing. I couldn't find her anywhere. Then finally, I went to my father's room, and that was when everything changed. EVERYTHING.  
Clawdia was in the room on her knees in front of Papa, her hands tied behind her back, blindfolded.  
"Leave, Clawdia!" I hear my dad roar. "LEAVE!!!"  
"NO!!!!!!" past-me roars. I tried running in to intervene, but there was an invisible force field.  
Kamek then flies by, and past-me demands of him, "Kamek! Cast down this force field AT ONCE!!!!!!!!"  
"I'm very sorry, your majesty, but there is nothing I can do," Kamek apologizes. "I must obey your father before anything."  
"But Bowser, I only-" Clawdia started.  
Since Clawdia was in blindfolds, she thought Papa was me since I talk so much like him. Oh, how I hated this day so much...  
Then Papa interrupted,  
"You mustn't be here! You cannot!" Why was Papa yelling at her? What did she do? That I never knew... It was only his Koopamentiasis kicking in, I assumed it would fade away eventually...  
"Honey, please, trust me! I know-"  
"No, yeh don't-"  
"LET ME FINISH!!!!! For goodness sake!" Clawdia growled.  
All of a sudden, Clawdia drops her two eggs of Bowsay and Junior. Thank Sweet Goomba they didn't break.  
"If you can't do this, then I'm gonna eat your brain!" Papa grumbled.  
I remember the shock from when Papa said he ate brains. And it wasn't a very fun shock.  
"Kamek please!!!!! This is getting ridiculous! Clawdia is about to lose her own life!" Past-me demands.  
"No, Bowser! NOOOOO!!!!!" Clawdia cried. I looked away. My father roared while Clawdia screamed. Then there was silence. Dead silence.  
Clawdia was dead.  
"PAPA!!!!!" Past-me roared as soon as the force field went down.  
"Bowser!" Papa replied. "How DARE yeh take a peasant in the castle!"  
"Peasant or not, she's a Koopa just like all of us!" I fight back.  
Papa then has a change of expression. All of a sudden he seems so concerned.  
"I... I didn't wanna kill her," he said. "It was all my Koopamentiasis that took over me... I couldn't help it..."  
"I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS YEHR KOOPAMENTIASIS OR NOT!!!!!" past-me roared. "Yeh killed such an innocent Koopa that did nothin' wrong, and NOW yeh say yeh're sorry?! I ain't forgivin' yeh! I shouldn't be callin' yeh 'king'! I shouldn't even be callin' yeh 'Papa'!!!!!!!!!!"  
Oooooh Papa, you made me wanna puke all over you with fire...  
Past-me then clawed my Papa in the chest.  
Papa then collapsed to the floor. Past-me runs up to him.  
"Bowser... Please..." He said, "Don't be the ruler that I am. Keep the Koopa Troop strong. Tell your mother I love her, and..."  
Papa then took his final breath. I killed him. I don't know why. I was extremely mad at him for murdering Clawdia, but I didn't wanna murder him.  
"FAWFUL!!!!!!!! HOW DARE YEH SHOW ME THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!" I roar. "WHAT DOES IT EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING??????!!!!!!"  
"These two events made the ghost pepper you are today," Fawful says, "you can't erase it from your past-your past never digests!"  
"Bowser!" my Mama called, "Is everything okay?"  
"Go away," past-me says.  
"What?" my mother says in shock.  
"Go away Mama. I'm a monster."  
"Bowser, sweetie, no-"  
"LEAVE MAMA!!!!" I roared. Then I calmed down and caught my breath and said, "Please leave, Mama. I love you and I don't wanna hurt you. Please."  
Mama came to give past-me a hug. "I love you very much, dearie. Don't forget that. I'll miss you."  
"I'll miss yeh too, Mama."  
And I still miss you today.  
"HEHEHE!" Fawful laughs. "You're never supposed to dispose of your food like you disposed of your mother!"  
"It was fer the better," I say.  
As Mama walks out, past-me then walks up to Clawdia's dead body.  
"Don't worry, Clawdia," I said, stroking her head. "I'll never forget yeh... Yeh'll always have a place in me heart... I'll raise our kids like a good father... And I'll rule the Koopa Troop like no other..."  
I love you, Clawdia, and I'll never forget you.  
Past-me then starts to roar.  
Kamek flies in. "Your tenderness," he says, "if there's anything wrong, I can help you with anything-"  
"What's happenin' to me, Kamek?!" I demand. "Meh lover and meh Papa just died and me Mama had to leave. What's happenin' to me???!!!"  
Kamek thoroughly examined me.  
"Your honor, I'm afraid you have Koopamentiasis. I don't know any cure for it other than the Rainbow Herb."  
And it's true. It was never me being evil. It's been my Koopamentiasis the whole time.  
"Well can anything at least HELP?!" I demanded. Since the Rainbow Herb was already used on Clawdia's mate Morton, there was no other cure.  
"You need someone sweet to spend time with," Kamek advises.  
"Impossible," past-me argues, "no one will ever be as sweet as Mama or Clawdia."  
"Maybe not, but someone will be better than nothing," Kamek stated. "What about Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom? I hear she has a sweet heart."  
"Gr... I guess I'll give it a try," I affirmed.  
But it never worked out. My Koopamentiasis only made me more and more evil. Eventually, I started kidnapping Peach just to use her instead of to help myself. What have I become... It's all because of this stupid disease!  
As I look back at the flashback, an egg starts to hatch. Out comes a Koopaling with two gigantic blue strands of hair.  
"Hey there, little guy," past-me said as I reached out to grab my son-well, my stepson. He was one of Clawdia's original seven eggs.  
The little Koopaling flinches at first, but then past-me says, "Shh, it's okay, I'm not... I'm not gonna hurt yeh."  
The baby Koopaling then smiles and lets me pick him up. He then starts laughing.  
"Hey there, kiddo! Yeh look so happy!"  
Because he is happy. With me.  
"Can yeh talk at all?"  
"a-BOO!" He says.  
"Wow, yeh look pretty scary! I'm gonna call you Ludwig. Ludwig Von Koopa."  
Baby Ludwig starts to cry.  
"Ssshhh... Don't cry now," I comforted. "You may have never known either of yehr parents... But I'm gonna be the best father to yeh that I can be."  
"But have you really been the best father for your Koopalings?" Fawful gives off his huge grin again.  
"It's hard bein' a king and raising nine kids at the same time!!!!!!!!" I protest.  
"Your evil ways are the meat, and the bread is all the people closing in and slowly destroying you!"  
"Well, I know Clawdia and Mama and all me other children still would've loved me no matter what!" I defend.  
"But would Bowsay have loved you?"  
I paused there. I was never too sure of anything about Bowsay. She was very different from the rest of the Koopas. She read a lot, and she isolated herself all the time. I keep trying to encourage her to make her public appearance, but she just wouldn't do it. And now that she's changed and become all evil, I don't know how to deal with her... She looks just like me, but she has Clawdia's colors...  
"Perhaps you should realize how Bowsay was the odd aftertaste of the Koopa Troop," says Fawful.  
The scene appears in the castle. It's already been changed to be more bad-looking since my reign, with the spikes and lava and all.  
"C'mere kids! It's finally happening!" Past-me calls.  
I turn see myself holding two eggs - a pink one and a green one.  
Those are Bowsay and Junior.  
As I keep watching, I see all my seven other children run in the room.  
"Ooo! Is another egg hatching?" Lemmy asks, busting through the door on his giant ball.  
"Get out of the way, Lemmy!" Larry complains, kicking Lemmy off his ball.  
"Ooo, this seems like another unusual circumstance!" Iggy says looking demented (like he always does).  
"Stop with the big words, Iggy!" Morton Jr. roars. "All you ever do is talk like you wanna-"  
"Shut up with the talking, Morton!" Roy interrupts.  
Finally, Ludwig walks in and realizes the catastrophe of all the other Koopalings.  
"SILENCE!!!!!!!!!" He roars.  
All the other Koopalings stop talking and stare at him. Golly, they're all so young...  
"Thank yeh, Ludwig," I praised my eldest son and patted him on the head. "Yeh're gonna be a big bad leader after me!"  
"I know, Father, I know!" Ludwig claims. How could I have forgotten that Ludwig was originally my second-in-command...  
"Hey guys! Wait for me!" I hear a little girl's voice call. Wendy O.!  
"I'm sorry I'm late, Papa," she apologizes, "but do I have to watch another egg hatch? It's just gonna be another boy, and I wanna have a sister!"  
"Well, great news, little girl!" I smiled. "Yeh're about to have another brother, BUT yeh're also about to have a sister!"  
"Ew!" "Gross!" "Another girl in the family?!" "Why?!" My sons don't seem excited...  
"Oh poor Bowsay!" Fawful taunts. "No one ever wanted her when her egg hatched!"  
"Wendy did!" I remind him. "And... I did."  
"Yay! I can finally have someone to play with!" Wendy squeals in excitement. However, her mood suddenly changes. "But will that mean I have to share my things with her?"  
"Yes, Wendy," Past-me answers, "yeh'll have to share with your new sister."  
"WAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!" Wendy O. cries. "I DON'T WANT A SISTER NOW!!!!!!"  
"Now now, children, let's be good to yehr new siblings!" I roared.  
The two eggs start hatching. The pink egg hatches first.  
That's Bowsay.  
The green egg then hatches.  
That's Junior.  
"Everyone welcome yehr new siblings!"  
"Hi new brother and sister..." "Welcome to the Koopa family..."  
The rest of my children don't seem excited about their birth... How could they? Bowsay and Junior are actually my kids, unlike the other seven Koopalings, I wish they could respect my own kids...  
Ludwig is the only one that looks excited. Which is weird, because Ludwig normally complains about Junior all the time...  
"Why they're wonderful, Papa!" He runs up to me and the twins. "Can I hold one of them?"  
"Sure thing, Ludwig!"  
I handed Ludwig Baby Bowsay. Baby Bowsay giggles at the sight of her older brother.  
Aw, look at you, Bowsay! You're so mean and adorable! If only you could be like that all the time...  
"Aw, she's so perfect!" Ludwig stated. "They both look so much like you, Papa!"  
"Yup, they sure do!" I agreed, though I remember refusing to mention that Bowsay had Clawdia's colors.  
Baby Junior looks up at me and smiles. I smile too.  
Aw Junior, you were so fiesty!  
"Pa-pa!" Baby Junior says.  
"Hey, lookie here! This kiddo already knows his first word!" Says my past self.  
And it's true. "Papa" was Junior's first word. I know he couldn't be prouder of it.  
"He's gonna grow up to be very smart," I predicted, "and he'll be a big bad kicking-butt leader of the Koopa Troop after I die!"  
Ludwig then stops rocking Baby Bowsay and shoots me a shocking look.  
"Are you saying that I'm not the heir to the Koopa throne anymore?!"  
So that's why Ludwig complains about Junior all the time... He wants the throne from him...  
"Look at you! Yeh lil' ferocious monster!"  
I notice my past self ignoring Ludwig and teasing my Baby Junior after he tried to bite my finger. "I'm gonna call you Bowser Junior!"  
"BOWSER JUNIOR! BOWSER JUNIOR!" My children shout. They seem a little more exciting after hearing the name.  
"Papa, would you like to hold your new daughter?!" Ludwig demands, still probably angry that the throne had just been taken away from him.  
"Meh new daughter? What new daughter?"  
Oh yeah, ANOTHER symptom of Koopamentiasis-sometimes you tend to forget things. I had been so focused on Junior that I forgot about Bowsay.  
"A-HEM!" Ludwig holds out Baby Bowsay.  
"Oh, uh, right... Take Bowser Jr., Ludwig - and don't hurt him!"  
While Ludwig is still in anger, he and I trade.  
I'm so sorry, Bowsay, for forgetting about you, and I'm sorry, Ludwig, that your hopes were given up.  
"You also look just like me... except for the pink and purple colors," Papa observes. I refuse to mention Clawdia because she's another story. "You look very quiet, but very intelligent... Now, say 'Papa'!"  
Baby Bowsay just stares at me in silence.  
"C'mon, lil' girl, say 'Papa'!"  
"Pa... pa..."  
"That's m'girl!" Past-me congratulates. "I'm gonna name yeh... Bowsay."  
"YAY BOWSAY! YAY BOWSAY!" The Koopalings cheer.  
"Yay Bowsay!" Wendy O. cheers one time by herself. "I finally have a sister!"  
Papa smiles. "Bowser Jr., Bowsay, welcome to the Koopa Family!"  
Suddenly, a wall starts to bang, and sirens start to go off.  
"That's Mario," I informed them. "Morton, take Bowsay. Quick everyone - get out!"  
I told Morton Jr. to take the egg because I wanted to see somewhat of Clawdia being happy.  
I remember all of this.  
The scene then changes to Young Bowsay finding Princess Peach locked away. How did she even find her?  
"Are you... are you Princess Peach?" Young Bowsay asks.  
Oh that's right, I used to read The Adventures of Princess Peach to her all the time, until she got too smart... I was hoping it would make her like Peach and wanna take her to the castle, but apparently it didn't really work...  
"Yes, little one," Peach answers. "and who might you be?"  
"I'm Bowsay! And my daddy is the awesome King Bowser!"  
Yeah Bowsay, you go girl!  
"Oh... I'm sure you have an awesome father..."  
"What's wrong, Princess Peach?"  
"It's your father..."  
Oh my gosh, Peach, REALLY?! What are you even thinking?!  
"What about him?"  
Bowsay pauses.  
"The monster that kidnapped Peach at the end of the book...  
"Princess Peach, was that monster who kidnapped you my father?!"  
"Yes..." Princess Peach answers. "Did he ever tell you?"  
"No..."  
Because it wasn't time yet! I swear I know what I'm doing! Okay, maybe not anymore...  
"Oh... I was sure all of Bowser's children knew," says Peach. "At least seven of them do. I didn't know he had another daughter!"  
"Yes, and he has another son, who happens to be my twin..."  
Oh, this must've been before I took Junior on vacation to Isle Delfino.  
Young Bowsay gasps. "You mean Ludwig and Larry and Iggy and Lemmy and-"  
"Yes, little one, those seven." Peach closes her eyes  
Their time had already come for them to know! GOSH DARNIT PEACH!!!!!  
"You're so nice, Princess Peach," Bowsay affirms. "I don't see why my father would kidnap you!"  
I'm sorry, Bowsay, it's for the best of my health, but Peach doesn't see it...  
A banging sound then comes from Peach's room.  
"Run, little one, before your father sees you!" Peach warns Bowsay. Bowsay then runs away.  
After Mario defeats me and leaves with Peach (AGAIN!!!!), I, all beaten and bruised, command, "Kids, stay behind. I'm goin' on vacation. Bowser Jr., Bowsay, come with me!"  
"I don't wanna go with you, Papa!" Bowsay snaps. Geez, she was SASSY...  
"Oh c'mon, Bowsay, have fun!" past-me tries to encourage her.  
"I'm not gonna have fun," Bowsay claims. "I'd rather stay home with the rest of the Koopalings!"  
"Er, fine..."  
I was confused then, but now it all makes sense...  
I looked at Junior.  
"C'mon, son, we're gonna have a blast!"  
"Alright, Papa!"  
Past-me and Junior chest bump.  
I love you so much, son!  
"Oh, and by the way, before we leave, I want yeh ter have this!" I handed Junior his magic graffiti brush.  
"Alright, we're off! Kamek, take good care of meh kids!" Junior and I depart on an airship. This was when we were going to Isle Delfino!  
"Aw no fair! Why can't we go on any vacation?!" Larry complains.  
Using over-dramatic expressions and body language, Iggy replies, "I know right! To us he's always like, 'YOU'RE MY KIDS, GET BACK TO WORK!' But then with Junior he's like 'Oh I'm gonna give you such special treatment because you're just like me!'"  
Oh Goomba stew... Is Iggy right?  
"Iggy! Calm yourself!" Ludwig commands. "We all do not think it's fair!"  
Well, at least Ludwig still kept all the other kids in control.  
"Bowsay, why didn't you wanna go on vacation with Papa and Junior?" Wendy O. questions. "I would've taken that opportunity in a heartbeat!"  
"It's just that... Papa's... never mind."  
Bowsay then runs away back to the castle.  
Wow... I always felt like my children were loyal to me, but I never knew that was what they actually thought of me...  
"Your children are slowly gonna crush the ice in your soul," Fawful threatens, "or are they your children?"  
"Yes, they are," I protest. "They may not all be related to me, but I've worked hard to raise them my whole life, therefore the Koopalings are like my children."  
"But do they all really love you like a father?"  
"SHUT UP FAWFUL!!!!!!!!!!" I roar. "If yeh're just gonna keep questioning m'life, yeh might as well question yehr own!" I am so done with you, Fawful!!!!!!!!!  
"So Bowser is asking for a fight?" Fawful says with his huge grin.  
"If it's the only to get yeh to shut up, then YEAH!!!!!!!!!! I never asked fer you to complicate meh life!!!!!!!!!!" I roar. Honestly, I'm so tired of you, Fawful!  
"Well if you ask for a fight, then a fight you shall have!"  
Fawful turns around.  
"Come, Midbus! Fawful calls you!"  
A pig-armadillo-like creature my size appears. Midbus.  
"Bowser! I see you again!" Midbus roars. "You're still as weak as you were when I first saw you!"  
"Weak? Says the one who's been defeated by me a million times?!" I roar. Midbus, you annoy me so much...  
"A million? It will be a million times more before you can see your daughter again!"  
"How dare yeh try to use Bowsay against me! You never make any sense at all!" Grrrrr, now I'm even MORE mad...  
"Listen, you. You no worth anything anymore. You are a worthless creature. Fawful is worth it. Fawful is worth it all!"  
"I'LL SHOW YEH WHO'S WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!" I roar. And this will be for Bowsay!  
"Attack, Midbus!" Fawful commands. "Roll him like a rolling pin!"  
Midbus rolls up in a ball and aims for me. Before he can hit me, I punch him back.  
"Midbus, give up not!" Fawful motivates. "Fawful hates quitters!"  
Midbus then gets up and starts bouncing in a ball and tries to bounce on me, but I block him with my spiky shell.  
"Now I'm gonna FINISH YOU!!!!!" I threaten.  
A few hits and fire-breaths later, I finally defeat him. He deserved it.  
"Is this a joke?!" I ask, "Because that battle was a piece of cake!"  
I hope Bowsay would've been proud of me...  
"You fought very well, Bowser!" says a voice.  
"What?! Who was that?!" I look around and see no one else around me.  
"Fawful, I don't have time for games anymore!!!!!!!!!"  
"Fawful knows not of who it was!" he claims.  
Suddenly appears a floating magical jester. I remember this guy...  
"Master of dimensions... Pleaser of crowds... I am... Dimentio!"  
Of course. Dimentio. He has to come along and make everything worse.  
"Whaddaya want, Dimentio???" I groan.  
Dimentio laughs.  
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore!"  
"You're not wanting what Fawful is wanting, are you?" Fawful sneers.  
Dimentio glares at Fawful.  
"I shall talk to you about this later... But until then... Bowser!"  
"What Dimentio?! Whaddaya want from me???!!!" Dimentio is the most unexpecting thing I know, always up for surprises...  
"You fought well against Midbus the first time... But maybe some magic will do the trick!"  
Dimentio casts a spell on Midbus. Midbus starts to fall, very weak.  
"YOU!!!!!!!!" Fawful screams. "Just what have you done to my Midbus?!?!?! Only Fawful can control him, not you Demon Cheese, whatever your name is!!!!!!"  
Dimentio grins. "You will thank me later, Fawful you awful. Now, Midbus, smash Bowser like a pancake!"  
"HEY!!!!!!!" Fawful complains. "FOOD TALK IS A FAWFUL THING!!!!!!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE MY FURY!!!!!!!!!"  
"And here's my little secret for you, Bowser!" Dimentio then announces,  
"Bowsay... Is not your daughter!"  
"What?! Impossible! That can't be true!" What could Dimentio be talking about???!!!  
But the jester laughs and disappears. Darn it, Dimentio, you rascal...  
Midbus then rises and snorts steam out of his nostrils.  
"Midbus mad!" He roars. "Midbus burn you up, Bowser!"  
"Burn me up? No one burns like Big Bad Bowser-HOLY CHICKEN GREASE WHAT WAS THAT???!!!"  
Did Midbus just BREATHE FIRE???!!!  
"Success!" Fawful celebrates. "Thanks to that Demon Cheese, Midbus is stronger and can defeat Bowser!"  
Of course, it was Dimentio...  
"You are the Chicken, Bowser, and I burn you to grease!" Midbus threatens.  
"YOU MAKE NO SENSE, MIDBUS!!!" I roar. He really doesn't...  
"Sense? Sense is for the weak," Midbus replies.  
"We've been over this already! TASTE MEH FIST!!!!!!!" I attempt to punch Midbus in the stomach, but Midbus rolls in a ball and jumps in the air. While in the air, he turns into a fireball. Well great, normally I punch Midbus in a ball, but not while he's on fire...  
I dodge Midbus's attack. Midbus then grabs an iron ball and attempts to throw it at me. I punch it back and make it hit him. Midbus then grabs another iron ball and sets it on fire. Wait, is it even possible to set an iron ball on fire???!!!  
The fire-iron ball hits me and knocks me down. As soon as I get back up, Midbus is in front of me, charging his power, getting ready for a huge attack. Before I can let him attack me, I continuously punch him in the stomach, canceling his attack.  
Midbus then grabs another flaming iron ball and throws it at me. If he just keeps doing what he's doing, we're never gonna finish this battle...  
Wait... I have an idea!  
I dodge the flaming iron ball, but before it passes me all the way, I grab it by the chain and throw it back at Midbus, knocking him down.  
Next, I form a spiky ball and start rolling at Midbus.  
POW!!!  
Midbus gets up. He tries to breathe fire again, but only smoke comes out. I must've weakened him enough to wear off Dimentio's magic on him.  
"Midbus, flee with me!" Fawful commands.  
"WAIT!" I interrupt. "I'm not done with you yet! Whaddaya even want?!"  
"It's my secret recipe to rule the universe," Fawful answers. "And the appetizer is taking a advantage of what Bowser has, in this case, Bowsay!"  
Grrr this is why I hate you... Do you even have a disease like Koopamentiasis or a disease with whatever creature you are?!  
"By the way, you can't hide your secrets from your children forever!  
"I HAVE CHORTLES!!!!!!!" Fawful then disappears in a Dark Portal.  
Unfortunately, someday my children need to know all of this, related or not...  
I don't feel like my Koopamentiasis has gotten any better since I first found out that I had it. I've never been able to approach Peach nicely, and I just can't tell her the truth.  
I never told Bowsay the truth... Whether she really is my daughter or not, I hope she eventually realizes how much I love her and care about her. It's my job to do that as a father. I won't be the father that my father was. I won't let my Koopamentiasis hold me back.  
But I don't understand... Bowsay is Junior's twin... How can she not be my daughter? Dimentio is probably just trying to fool me...  
But now I know that all my kids are at least somewhat against me... Picking Junior as a favorite? REALLY?! All the seven other Koopalings are adopted while Junior is actually my child! It's only fair! I love all my children the same! At least Junior still loves me, he understands me so well that he tried to imitate me.  
Speaking of Bowser Jr., there he is now! He looks all down...  
"Junior, m'boy, are yeh okay?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowser
> 
> \-------------------------------------------  
>  Hi readers! YAY FINALLY ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!was originally gonna post this chapter last Sunday, but I was barely halfway done with it then...  
>  I'm currently at a performing arts school for the rest of this month, so there won't be a chapter for the rest of this month. I've been writing a WHOLE LOT, so now that I've finally posted this chapter, I need to focus more on my performing arts school stuff (I have opera music that I need to learn by tomorrow!!!!). Plus I also need to socialize with my friend too instead of staring at my phone. I'm sorry if you find it disappointing, but I have a life and I need to live it, just like you need to live yours! Don't spend your WHOLE life on Wattpad!  
>  I literally couldn't think of Bowser's backstory until I started writing it. Koopamentiasis is basically Mad Cow disease for Koopas. Tbh I read this chapter myself earlier today and I actually had feels. I try to keep it away from PG-13 like eating brains... if this fanfic were a video game, it definitely would be at least rated E10+. I'd try my hardest not to make it rated T...  
>  Speaking of making it a video game, I'm sorry if all my battles are not creative. Some things just aren't as good on a page, ex. the Bowser-Midbus fight, but Midbus would be a boss if this were a video game.  
>  Also, I know Morton Koopa Jr. was really named after Morton Downey Jr. (not to be confused with Robert Downey Jr., aka Iron Man). I just felt like giving him a real reason in the Koopa world to have a "Jr." at the end of his name. Anyways, it's only a fanfic!  
>  Also, the next chapter will be Shadow facing Mephiles. Since a huge chunk of Shadow's backstory is in Sonic Adventure 2, it shouldn't be as hard to write as Bowser's chapter was. All I need is to find something between him and Pumpkin...  
>  Also, readers, follow me on Twitter! @MarioSonic24601 - that way y'all can stay updated instead of waiting for an entire paragraph after every chapter!  
>  QOTD: Which Koopaling do you think you are most like and why?  
>  My AOTD: Iggy. The way I describe him in this fanfic, over dramatic and all, is exactly how I imagine myself


	35. Shadow vs. Mephiles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Shadow
> 
> \---------------------------------------------  
>  Hi readers! Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a month! It's gonna take me more time to write now that the chapters are getting longer. Also, I know Shadow said the D word a few times, but hey, it was said a lot of times in the game Shadow The Hedgehog, so calm down. Also, idk how long it will take for me to write the next chapter because I haven't really thought about what's gonna happen next (though I do have a plan for what will happen once they get back to their own time). Thank you all who patiently waited. If you wanna know more about updates, please follow me on Twitter @MarioSonic24601.  
>  QOTD: Who do you ship with Shadow?  
>  My AOTD: I ship Shadow and Rouge all the way! In Sonic 06 when she says to Shadow "If the world ever turns your back on you, know that I will always be by your side," (or something like that) that was when I was like "Yes. Just yes. I ship it!"  
>  Have a great day, night, wherever you are, and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

Ha! This Dark Portal ride wasn't so bad... Now where is he-  
"Shadow!"  
I turn around. "Mephiles!"  
"I've been expecting you, Shadow the Hedgehog. It has been so long!"  
"What are you doing here, Mephiles? You were destroyed too long ago!"  
I clearly remember defeating the god Solaris with Sonic and Silver. And if Solaris was destroyed, then Mephiles should have been destroyed too, because Mephiles is part of Solaris!  
"That does not matter anymore, Shadow. I am back now, and I will have my revenge on you!" Mephiles threatens.  
"Not today you won't!" I start running up to Mephiles so I can attack him. Mephiles sends out an energy blast, but before it can hit me, I shout, "Chaos CONTROL!"  
I reappear behind Mephiles in attempt of a Homing Attack, but then he disappears and reappears behind me after I hit the ground.  
"Of course, Shadow, I could not forget about your Chaos Control!" Ugh, Mephiles' voice is so creepy and it annoys me...  
"But you see, I am your form, therefore I understand how you work. Your creator was such a fool!"  
"How dare you insult Gerald Robotnik!" I defend. "He was the greatest scientist ever!"  
"But you were only created because of me, Shadow the Hedgehog," says another deep and dark voice.  
Who was that? I look behind me and see a projection of a creature with three red eyes, long horns, and a decorated robe-oh god...  
"Black Doom! You too?!" Great, the two things who have complicated my life the most are both surrounding me... Just great. At least it's just the Doom's Eye projecting Black Doom's image.  
"Yes, Shadow, it is I, your Creator and Master!"  
"And who might you be?" Mephiles questions him.  
Black Doom gets up. "I am Black Doom, the Creator and Master of Shadow the Hedgehog!"  
"Master? I have no master, in case you didn't know!" I fight back.  
"Ah Shadow, you seem to have grown much stronger since we last met," Black Doom points out.  
I don't know what he's talking about, I'm just as strong as I've always been!  
"And who might you be?" Black Doom questions Mephiles.  
"I am Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark," he answers. "I am the evil will and conscious of the Sun God Solaris, and I just so happened to have absorbed the form of Shadow the Hedgehog, therefore I know what he knows!"  
"Mephiles, you don't know what I know!" I protest.  
"Very good, Shadow," says Black Doom. "You are still the Shadow I remember from long ago!"  
"I defeated you long ago, Black Doom!" I growl. "And Mephiles - Sonic, Silver and I defeated Solaris long ago, therefore you should be gone as well! What are you both still doing here now, and what do you want from me this time?"  
"Ah Shadow, need you a reminder on your past - on Maria?" says Black Doom.  
"I've put my past behind me, in case you forgot," I grunt and cross my arms. "I don't need you to bring it up again." He is not gonna get me started on Maria...  
"A stubborn little hedgehog you are indeed, Shadow," Black Doom insults. Damn you, Black Doom, I defeated you before, don't mess with me now!  
"Have you forgotten about your sister?" Black Doom questions.  
"What? I have... a sister?" How could I have a sister? I was created in a lab from Black Doom's blood! Unless... The professor might've created something else out of Black Doom's blood?  
"Yes, Shadow, you are not my only offspring," Black Doom answers. "You have a sister made from my blood!"  
"Unbelievable," I mumble. I had a sister created from Black Doom's blood... How can I not remember her? Have I still not fully recovered my memory?  
"Tell me who she is!" I demand.  
"I will, Shadow," he answers, "once you bring me the Seven Chaos Emeralds!"  
"I'm not doing anything for you again!" I fight. "You tricked me once, you're not gonna trick me again! Besides, I'll find out about my sister alone, after I find Pumpkin and stop the Doctor and any other evil that may be out there... Especially you!"  
"Very well, Shadow," Black Doom replies. "We shall meet again soon... Same to you, Mephiles the Dark!"  
The projection of him goes back into the Doom's Eye, and the Doom's Eye flies away. Thank god I only have one mortal enemy to deal with for now...  
"So, Mephiles, as I was asking, what are you doing here? Why are you back?" I demand.  
"You, Shadow the Hedgehog, took away everything from me," he answers, "All my power, all my glory, gone thanks to you..."  
"That's in the past," I reply, "and you should put your past behind you, just like I have with mine!"  
"Hahaha! I could simply just travel back to your past and kill you from the start," he threatens, "but I'm too nice, am I?"  
Mephiles waves his paw and creates a flashback.  
The flashback shows me in a room with a giant black shadow. That black shadow is the original Mephiles.  
"Chaos CONTROL!" I commanded.  
"...What? ...Stop!" Mephiles' shadow form struggled.  
Past-me then summoned the Scepter of Darkness. That was the only way to seal Mephiles at the time.  
The Scepter began to shine as Mephiles questioned, "Who... Who are... You?"  
"I'm Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog," I proudly affirmed.  
"Shadow... Your face... Your form... I will remember," Mephiles said as he started to swirl into the Scepter. "Your death... Certain... You... Will die!"  
As Mephiles was completely sealed, the Scepter dropped on the ground.  
"Ah, Shadow, the day you imprisoned me is a day I will never forget," Mephiles tells me. "And I shall never forget the day you set me free ten years later!"  
The scene changes to me and Rouge exploring Kingdom Valley.  
"The former king of Soleanna used to reside in this castle," Rouge explained to past-me. "But a major accident occurred 10 years ago, and no one's lived here since."  
"Accident?" I wondered.  
"I heard a prototype energy engine failed, which caused the accident," Rouge stated. "I think the name of the plan was..."  
"The Solaris Project!" The Doctor interrupted as he arrived in his Egg Mobile. "It was an ambitious project named after their eternal Sun god."  
"Doctor!" exclaimed Rouge.  
"It's been awhile, my dear Rouge. And of course, Shadow. Now, if you'd be so kind as to hand back the Scepter of Darkness you took from me!"  
Earlier that week, Rouge and I stole the Scepter from Eggman's base.  
An army of the Doctor's robots then surrounded me and Rouge. One robot fired at us, and we jumped in separate directions. Rouge then flew up in the air, but then a fist from the Doctor's Egg Mobile punched her, causing her to lose control and fall and drop the Scepter.  
As I caught Rouge, the Scepter was still falling. The Doctor yelled, "NO!!!!"  
The Scepter hit the ground and shattered, shining purple light. All the Doctor's robots were unable to move as they were electrocuted from the Scepter's power.  
"Shadow!" Rouge shouted in concern.  
Past-me went to touch the Scepter, but then I jumped back as a dark shadow flew out and flew through all of the robots.  
"It's no use! Pull back! Pull back! Pull back!" The Doctor panicked as he flied away.  
The shadow then dived into the ground close to me. My shadow then detached from me as the other dark shadow started to take my form. Mephiles.  
"What? His shadow!" Rouge said in confusion.  
"Hehahaha! Oh, how ironic fate can be!" Mephiles laughed. "I would never have believed I would be resurrected through your shade!" He then bowed mockingly, "I thank you, Shadow the Hedgehog!"  
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" I questioned.  
"I am Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark," he claims, walking with his head down and arms drooping. "What, did you forget me?"  
As Mephiles walked closer to me, he lifted his head and said, "I owe much to you, Shadow. Oh yes!" Mephiles raised his paw, and I jumped back as a sphere of darkness formed in his palm.  
"What you gave to me, I now return to you! A one-way ticket to oblivion!"  
The sphere then rose and expanded over the three of us, which took us to another time.  
"Why are you showing me this, Mephiles? What does it have to do with anything?" I demand.  
"All you ever did to me was punish me and ignore me," Mephiles answers. "But it doesn't have to be that way anymore."  
"Listen up, I didn't come here to argue with you, I came here to find Pumpkin!" I growl. I kinda got side-tracked for a bit...  
"Why does Pumpkin matter to you?" Mephiles questions.  
"You told me to step through the Dark Portal if I wanted to see Pumpkin again, so where is she?!" I demand.  
"Hahaha!" Mephiles laughs. "Pumpkin is safe-safe with me! That way no one as dangerous as you can hurt her!"  
"I would never hurt Pumpkin," I claim. "Pumpkin was my friend! And... I felt some sort of... connection with her."  
"Hm, a connection, I see," Mephiles says. "I know not what it is about the connection between you two..."  
Mephiles waves his arms, presenting a flashback.  
The flashback first shows Tails about to go to his workshop.  
"Okay guys, we're safe here!" Tails informed. Sonic and all his other friends appeared, including me.  
Pumpkin then asked her brother, "Tails, what are they all doing here?"  
"These are my friends! They're not gonna hurt you!" Tails answered.  
"But I don't wanna hurt them," Pumpkin replied.  
"You won't, Pumpkin!" Tails assured. "Just take a deep breath, and everything will be just fine, I promise!"  
"Okay, if you say so." Pumpkin took a deep breath.  
"Hey hey, Pumpkin! What's up with you?" Sonic greeted. Sometimes I can't stand how positive Sonic is...  
"Hey Sonic!" Pumpkin started to smile. "I'm... fine, I guess," Pumpkin's smile disappears.  
"Pumpkin!" Amy asked, "Is everything alright?"  
"Yeah, Amy, everything's fine," Pumpkin answered. "How are you and Sonic doing?"  
"We're doing just fine," Amy answered. "I'm getting ready to propose to him, and then we'll finally be married!"  
Sonic, who was already talking to Tails, turned around and gave Amy a weird look, and then turned back around.  
"See, look - he's ready!" Amy blushed.  
"Haha, cool, Amy," Pumpkin casually replied.  
As Pumpkin talked to more people, she finally came across me sitting alone on a rock.  
I remember this. This was when we first met.  
"Hi," Pumpkin said to past-me, "I don't think we've ever met before."  
"I am Shadow," past-me introduced myself, "Shadow the Hedgehog."  
"Well hi, Shadow," she responded, "I'm Pumpkin Prower... I'm Tails' sister."  
"Really? I wasn't aware that Tails had a sister," I replied.  
"Yeah, well, it's a long story..." Pumpkin looked down. She then looked back up and asked, "So where do you come from, Shadow?"  
"I was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik on the Space Colony ARK," I answered. "I was created as the ultimate life form."  
"You were created in a lab?" Pumpkin questioned.  
"Yes," past-me answered, "but the military saw me as a threat, so they invaded the ARK and killed someone I loved very dearly..."  
As past-me looked away, Pumpkin asked me, "Who was it?"  
"It was the professor's granddaughter," I answered. "Her name was... Maria. Right before she died, I promised her that I would protect the professor and everyone aboard the ARK. I promised her that I would give all the people on Earth a chance to be happy, to live their dreams, and that was why I was created... But many times I've forgotten that promise, the reason I was created, and I've caused so much destruction... I often feel like I never should've been created..."  
Come back to me, Maria. Make me okay again.  
Pumpkin put her paw on my shoulder in comfort and said, "You and I have something in common, you know. When Tails and I were pups, we were a happy family with our parents and all. One day, Tails and I were trying to learn how to fly, and when I figured it out, I got so excited and out of control, that I released fire from me, and... I accidentally killed my mother. Struck her right in the heart. She told me to never cry no matter what happens, and she told Tails to take good care of me. My father was too afraid and abandoned us, so it's only been me and Tails ever since... And I stay in Tails' workshop, away from the world outside, so I never have to hurt anyone... But Tails often gets mistaken for me, and when everyone finds out he's my brother, they all make fun of him..."  
"So what is it that we have in common?" Past-me asked.  
"What I'm saying is we've both lost loved ones, and we both feel like mistakes due to all the destruction we've caused. We feel like the world would be better without us."  
And she speaks truth. It was then when I started feeling a connection with Pumpkin. I sort of start to feel it within me now.  
As Pumpkin already had her paw on my shoulder, I put my paw on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Pumpkin. We'll make it through all of our troubles... together."  
Pumpkin smiled, but then a black swirl of wind began to encircle us.  
As the wind started to get more violent, Pumpkin took her paw off my shoulder, and I did the same, causing the wind to disappear.  
"What just happened?" She wondered. "How did we do that?"  
"Pumpkin, this might sound crazy, but... I feel like I've known you somewhere else before."  
It's true. I do feel like I know Pumpkin somewhere else...  
"Really? Because Shadow... I feel the same way about you."  
"Could it have had anything to do with the wind we just created?"  
"I have no idea..." Pumpkin paused and thought, then said, "but what matters is that we know each other now, and we'll just keep it going from there, okay?"  
"Okay," I answered firmly.  
Pumpkin smiled a little. "It was great to meet you, Shadow."  
"You too, Pumpkin."  
"Don't forget your promise with Maria, okay?"  
"I won't. And remember this too, Pumpkin, that if you're too worried about hurting the world, you're only letting the world hurt you."  
I remember those words I told Pumpkin. I told her to remember that, yet I haven't always remembered it myself...  
"Hahaha!" Mephiles laughs. "Shadow you fool! Why would you give such advice to the enemy?"  
"Pumpkin isn't the enemy!" I defend. "You're the enemy that changed her! You're making everything worse! You don't deserve to live!"  
"Hahaha! May I remind you of what happens to you once this world is destroyed?"  
Mephiles waves his paw and shows an image of... me. Sealed.  
"Yes, that is you."  
Oh god, here we go again... Same old words of his...  
"After the world was devastated by Iblis's flames, what do you think happened? A search for the guilty. Who did this, you may ask?"  
Iblis's flames? Again? What's he talking about this time?  
"Humanity wasn't just jealous of your power... They feared it. They used this incident as an excuse to hunt you down."  
Mephiles, just shut up already, we've been through this before, we don't need to go through this again...  
"Come with me, Shadow," he offers. "Let us punish this foolish world of humanity. It's only fair to give back what was intended for you! You have every right to want justice!"  
"That's absurd," I reply. "I don't have time for this. You're not gonna convince me this time. I determine my own destiny!"  
Mephiles swings his arms out, transforming into his crystallized form.  
"I'll leave it up to Pumpkin destroy you - but I'll give her a head start!"  
Pumpkin? Destroying me? I'll think about that later...  
Mephiles then summons an army of shadowed minions.  
"Don't bother to try and deceive me, I know who I am!" I claim proudly.  
Mephiles disappears. I then look down and find that he is my shadow.  
"I'm your shadow... You can't even touch me!" He threatens.  
Oh, we'll see about that!  
I perform homing attacks on all of the shadows around me.  
"These shadows that he's controlling... I just need to defeat their origin!"  
Just a few more monsters to kill and... Aha! Time to use my Chaos Boost!  
"What? Shadow... You...!" Mephiles transforms back into his normal form.  
That's right Mephiles, you can't tell me who I am!  
"Dance, my shadows, dance!" Mephiles commands.  
While still in my Chaos Boost, I continuously attack Mephiles.  
Mephiles then raises his paws to form an energy ball and fires it at me - ARGH! I just lost my Chaos Boost! Mephiles is now my shadow again...  
Okay, attacking these little termites with a Homing Attack is gonna take too long...  
As a hoard of little shadows surround me and come at me, I use a Spin Kick attack on them. That was much easier and much faster. Now that I have my Chaos Boost again...  
"Shadow! Why you..." Mephiles takes his normal form again.  
Well, what were you expecting?  
One last attack now...  
URAGH!!!!!!! Mephiles tumbles onto the ground.  
"Shadow..." Mephiles mutters, struggling to stand back up. "You have defeated me again, Shadow the Hedgehog... But I will be back, so don't miss me for too long!"  
Mephiles creates a Dark Sphere and travels through it.  
"Mephiles!" I'm not done with you yet! Just wait until I jump into - damn it, it closed too soon...  
But what is happening... First Mephiles is back, now Black Doom is back as well... They better not team up, I swear... But why are they here, and what do they want from me? And what does Mephiles want with Pumpkin? Why has he turned her against me?  
And my sister... Black Doom said I had a sister... Who could she be, and why can't I remember her? Have I ever met her? Well, I'll find more about her once I find Pumpkin... I still wonder about the connection between me and Pumpkin and why we feel to familiar to each other...  
Wait a minute... There's a fox over there with two tails... Is that Pumpkin over there? Have I finally found her?  
Damn it, the fur is too light orange... "Tails!"


	36. Finally Reunited!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-------------------------------------------  
>  Yahoo indeed! This chapter is a LOT shorter than my previous chapters! It's basically just a filler to settle things down before the madness begins again. (dun dun DUUUUUUN!!!!!) The characters will go through three phases to get back to their own time, and I don't know yet if it will all be one chapter or three separate chapters. But I will tell you that after it all, they WILL get back to their own time! It's not another trick! I'm sure y'all are just as ready as I am for them to return! I'm gonna try to finish Part II before I start school mid-August. After the characters return, there will be some Bowsay and Pumpkin chapters, which we haven't had a chapter from their POVs since Part I... It's getting really exciting!!!!! I am so pumped!!!!! Please feel free to comment how you feel about all this!!!!! And don't forget to follow me on Twitter @MarioSonic24601 :D  
>  I've been watching a whole bunch of SuperMarioLogan lately, and now when I read Bowser and Junior, I keep reading them with their SML voices in my head! XD How many of my readers watch SML?  
>  I would also like to thank you all for 7K READS and ALMOST 200 votes!!!!!!! Don't forget that you readers are the reason I'm still writing this fanfic, and I don't know where I'd be without y'all! Love y'all so much!!!!!!  
>  QOTD: If you watch SuperMarioLogan, what was the last video of his you watched and what did you think of it?  
>  My AOTD: Bowser Jr.'s Easter Wish! I think it was the third SML video I EVER watched (1st being Jr.'s Breakfast and 2nd being Jr.'s Easter Egg Hunt) and Chef Pee Pee was just HILARIOUS like he always is! He's my favorite original SML character! Bowser Jr. will always be my favorite because that was how I got into SML! Logan and Lovell (the voice actors) put so much energy into it!  
>  Have a great day, night, wherever you are, and happy reading!  
>  ~SonicLover24601

Bowser Jr.'s POV  
"Junior, m'boy, are yeh okay?"  
Oh no. It's Papa. What if he's trying to kill me now like he killed my mama?  
Papa gives me a hug, but I don't hug back. Because I don't know if I should trust him anymore... I don't even know if I should love him anymore...  
Papa then grabs my arms and wraps them around him, saying "It's okay to hug yer Papa back!"  
Well dang, Papa, you're just expecting so much love after what you've done, huh?  
"Junior, I asked yeh, are yeh okay?" Papa asks of me.  
"I'm... fine... Papa..." I'm really not fine at all, Papa. I can't feel the same way I always felt around you, because now I know who you really are.  
"Oh son, I love yeh so much and I don't wanna let yeh go!" Papa squeezes me tighter...  
"Let go of me, Papa!" I push him away angrily. He really doesn't understand how I feel right now, does he?  
Bowser's POV  
"Junior, I really don't appreciate yer attitude!" I inform my son. What's wrong with him? Why is he suddenly being so rude to me? Unlike the Koopalings, he's actually my son, and he used to do everything I told him to!  
"Well just stay away from me, Papa! I don't wanna talk to you!" Junior roars at me.  
"Really, Junior, what's the matter?"  
"I'm FINE, Papa! Just leave me alone!" Junior snaps.  
"Don't yeh dare hide anything from me! I'm yer Papa, and I love yeh, so tell me everything yeh have to say!" I demand.  
"Well I don't have to say ANYTHING to you!!!!"  
"What happened to the Junior I once loved and raised, who was always willing to do his father's will? The heir to the Koopa Throne?"  
"Well maybe it's not all about you, Papa." Junior crosses his arms and glares at me. "Just because I'm your son and look just like you, doesn't mean I AM you! What if I don't wanna lead the Koopa Throne like you?!"  
"Junior, don't be ridiculous! Yer gonna be Koopa King one day whether yeh like it or not!" Has he really not understood enough?  
"Well, I'm not gonna be the leader you are, Papa. I'm gonna lead it my own way!"  
"That's fine, because it's gonna be yer kingdom!" I never said Junior had to lead exactly like me! Even though I really expected him to...  
"You know what, Papa, GIVE ME THE THRONE RIGHT NOW!"  
What... Junior... What is happening... Both of my children are turning against me... What have I done...  
Shadow's POV  
"Tails!" I call out.  
"Shadow! Is everything okay?" Tails checks in.  
"Not really... They're all after me again, and soon they'll be stronger than ever..." I look away. I really can't talk about this right now.  
"Who, Shadow? Who's after you?" Tails asks.  
I close my eyes and turn back around.  
"Never mind that. Where are Bowser and Junior?"  
"I haven't seen them," Tails answers.  
Suddenly, we hear a childish voice scream, "You know what, Papa, GIVE ME THE THRONE RIGHT NOW!"  
"That's Junior!" Tails points out.  
"I figured as much," I respond. "Probably going through a daddy fight of some sorts."  
"Well, let's go then!" exclaims Tails.  
Tails' POV  
There they are! Bowser and Bowser Jr.! I wonder why they're fighting?  
"No, Junior! I have the throne, and yeh can't just take it from yer Papa!" Bowser roars. "It'll only throw the whole Royal Koopa Line system out of whack!"  
"Who cares about some stupid system???" Junior growls. He then pulls out his Magic Paintbrush and threatens, "If you're not gonna step down from the throne yourself, then I'M GONNA MAKE YOU!!!!!!!"  
"Junior, no!" Bowser starts to breathe fire as Junior leaps toward his father, about to strike him with his Paintbrush.  
What could be happening between them? Every time I see them, they're always so loving towards each other! And it always makes me miss my father...  
Before one of them could hit the other, Shadow shouts, "Chaos CONTROL!"  
Both Koopas freeze in their positions. As Shadow is at ease, Bowser Jr. drops to the ground, and Bowser lets out a huge sigh.  
"What were you two thinking about fighting each other, huh?" Shadow growls.  
"I thought we agreed that we were all gonna work together until we got back to our own time!" I inform.  
"Save all the sissy fights for the present, okay? Now's not the time and place for it," Shadow demands.  
"Right, Shadow," Junior acknowledges. He then looks back at his father in fear, but then looks away an asks, "We're still in this same desert... So what happens next?"  
"Hey, look! There's people over there! Maybe they can help us!" I point out and start running in that direction. Bowser Jr. starts to follow me, soon followed by Shadow and Bowser.  
"Tails, are you sure we can trust these people?" Shadow wonders.  
"It wouldn't hurt to give it a try!" I reply. As we get closer, I can tell who those people are... Oh my gosh! This is amazing!  
"Sonic! Mario!"  
Normal POV  
"Tails! Shadow!" Sonic calls out. This is awesome! he thought.  
"Hi Sonic! It's great to see you again!" Tails says as they hug.  
"Same to you pal!"  
"Tails!" Blaze calls out, "Did you find anything while you were gone?"  
Tails was gone for so long since Dark Amy kidnapped him, Sonic thought, he must've found something...  
"Yes! I found out a lot of things!" Tails confirms, "But if I tried to tell you anything, I would start choking, because apparently I must be cursed or something..."  
"That's okay, Tails, because Peach and I are cursed too!" Amy responds.  
"Amy!" Tails runs to hug her. "I'm glad to see that you and Peach are okay!"  
"PAPA!!!!!!!!!! JUNIOR!!!!!!!!!!!" The Koopalings scream as they hug their father and brother.  
"Oh kids! I'm so glad yeh're all okay!" Bowser affirms to the Koopalings.  
"Junior, what happened to you?!" Larry wonders.  
"We were worried sick about you, bro!" Morton Jr. admits.  
"We thought you were dead!" Wendy claims.  
"We didn't know what to do!" Iggy wails.  
"Yeah, dude, we totally wanted to know if you were okay!" Roy says.  
"And we're glad that you are!" Lemmy affirms.  
"Yes, Junior, we are very pleased that you are okay!" Ludwig says.  
"Thanks, guys. It was all kinda rough, but I'll be okay, and I'm glad you're all okay too!" Junior says in appreciation.  
"BLEEPITY BOOP!!!!! (JUNIOR!!!!!)" Metal Sonic dashes to give his best friend a hug.  
"Oh Metal Sonic! I missed you so much!" Junior says as he hugs back.  
"So these are two of your friends, Sonic?" Dreambert asks.  
Sonic nods.  
"I'm Miles Prower, but people call me Tails!" Tails introduces himself.  
"Ah, I see, you're the brother of Pumpkin, aren't you?" Dreambert reassures. "Mario and Sonic told me everything."  
"Yeah, I am," Tails answers, scratching his head.  
"And who might you be?" Dreambert asks the black hedgehog.  
"I'm Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog," Shadow responds, crossing his arms like normal.  
"Who are you?" Tails questions. "I assume you're a friend of Mario's!"  
"Correct. I am Prince Dreambert of the Pi'illo Kingdom."  
"Wow! That's so cool!" Tails says in excitement. "So what happens in a pillow kingdom?"  
"It's spelled P-I-apostrophe-I-L-L-O, just so you know!" Starlow assures.  
"Oh, that's an interesting spelling!" says Tails. "So anyways, what happens in the Pi'illo Kingdom?"  
"Well, we have two worlds - the Real World and the Dream World," Dreambert explains. "Right now we're in the Real World, but if someone who is extremely sleepy - Luigi, for example -  
"Huh? What?" Luigi wakes up upon hearing his name after zoning out in sleep.  
"- if Luigi sleeps on top of a Pi'illo folk, then they create a Dream Portal that can enter the Dream World!"  
"Sleeps... on... top... of... them...?" Tails questions. That sounds wrong... thought the fox.  
"By that, I mean he uses the Pi'illo people as actual pillows!" Dreambert confirms.  
"Oh, haha! That makes a lot more sense now!" Tails giggles.  
Changing the subject, Vector demands, "Well, now that we're all back together, how do we get out of here?!"  
"Well, I have a Chaos Emerald, so does anyone have another?" Shadow asks. Two Chaos Emeralds with Shadow's Chaos Control are required to travel through time.  
"Well, Wario found this Emerald!" Wario says, holding a yellow Chaos Emerald.  
"Wa! No! Waluigi found it!" Waluigi argues as he snatches it from Wario.  
Right before Wario and Waluigi are about to get in another sissy fight, Rouge interrupts, "Hand it over!"  
Wario and Waluigi look at each other and sigh. "Here you go, Rouge," Waluigi says as he hands it over.  
"Thank you," the bat gladly takes it and examines it. "Now, let's see... Yup, this is definitely a Chaos Emerald! Where and when did you find this, bozos?"  
"We went off on a treasure hunt and found it in a giant temple!" Wario explains.  
"But then we had to stop because you guys made us," Waluigi pouts.  
"Now now, Wario and Waluigi, at least you found us something very useful!" Rouge says. She then tosses the Chaos Emerald to Sonic. "Alright, Sonic, Shadow, do your stuff!"  
"Right! You know what to do, Shadow!" Sonic exclaims.  
Shadow nods.  
The two hedgehogs hold up their Emeralds and shout, "Chaos Control!"  
The two Chaos Emeralds start to glow, but then they turn off.  
"Huh? What happened?" Sonic questions.  
"What? Where's the Portal?" Rouge wonders.  
"Perhaps it was just a slight malfunction," Espio hypothesizes.  
"That's absurd," Shadow admits, "Chaos Control always works in some way, shape, or form! It always cooperates!"  
Sonic and Shadow try again, holding up their Chaos Emeralds and shouting, "Chaos CONTROL!!!!!"  
This time, the Emeralds do not glow at all, and nothing happens.  
"Oh no! We're doomed!" Iggy Koopa complains.  
"Hush up, child!" Daisy snaps.  
"B-B-BIRDO!!!!! (I'm never gonna get my makeover!)" Birdo wails.  
"Birdo, yoshi yoshi... (Birdo, it's okay,)" Yoshi comforts.  
"I don't think it IS okay, Yoshi, because WE MIGHT BE STUCK HERE FOREVER!!!!!!!" Starlow complains.  
"Ook ook OOK! (We'll never have any more bananas!)" Diddy Kong cries, hugging his uncle.  
"I KNEW I SHOULDN'T'VE SIGNED UP FOR ANY OF THIS!!!!!!" Wendy squeals.  
"I WANT MY MOMMY!" cries Cream.  
"I AM SO DONE WITH THIS!" Charmy Bee admits.  
"GUYS! GUYS!" Amy interrupts, "Complaining isn't gonna get us anywhere! How many times do we have to say it?!"  
"Well then why don't you tell us how to get back, Amy, huh?" Rouge demands.  
"Rouge, be nice!" Peach suggests.  
"Okay, then, why don't you find a way to get us out of this future, Princess Peach!" Rouge mocks.  
Mario quickly runs up to Peach in defense. Nobody messes with my girl! he thought.  
Dr. Eggman adjusts his eyepiece. "It appears that we are in a time and place where time travel is impossible!" he states. "We may have been able to travel to get here, but we are unable to travel away!"  
"What? No!" Luigi puts his fingers in his mouth and chatters his teeth, but Mario slaps him out of it.  
He needs to stop being such a scaredy cat! thought Mario.  
"No! There has to be a way to get out of here!" Knuckles says, pumping his fists.  
"Definitely!" Silver agrees. "If we were all able to travel to this time, then we have to be able to travel away!"  
"Well, obviously my Chaos Control isn't gonna work," Shadow states.  
"But there is one way," says a low female voice.  
We all turn around and see Pumpkin and Bowsay.  
"Pumpkin! What are you and Bowsay doing here now?" Tails demands.  
Wow, he now seems more angry at her than worried like he usually is, Sonic observed.  
"We're here to get you out of this time!" Pumpkin affirms.  
"But you're gonna have to listen to everything we say!" Bowsay warns.  
"Why should we listen to you, Bowsay?!" Junior snaps.  
Wow-wee, such a sibling fight, Mario thought.  
"Did I ever tell you that we never lied?" Bowsay laughs.  
"And I will say that it is not gonna be easy!" Pumpkin warns.  
"But if you wanna go back to your own time, now is your only chance!" Bowsay affirms.  
Bowsay and Pumpkin then stand side-by-side and create a Dark Portal.  
"So step through if you wanna go back to where you belong!" Pumpkin suggests.  
"And we'll be waiting for you!" Bowsay admits.  
Bowsay and Pumpkin then go through the Portal.  
"I don't know... Should we really listen to them?" Peach wonders.  
"Well, if they say it's the only way, then it's all we got!" Daisy says.  
"But it could all just be another big trap!" Amy predicts.  
"But they said they never lied," Junior reminds everyone.  
"If they say it's the only way to get back to our own time, then, like it or not, we have to believe them," Shadow suggests.  
Yacker the Wisp dances in agreement.  
"If it's the only way we're gonna save our world, then let's do it!" Silver says all pumped up.  
"Right on!" Sonic agrees. He then gives a thumbs up and asks, "Ready, Mario?"  
Mario jumps and says, "Yahoo! Let's-a go!"  
The whole team, not knowing what is ahead of them, jumps through the Dark Portal.


	37. Phase One - Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \------------------------------------------------  
>  Hi readers! Yeah this chapter wasn't as good as my other ones, it could've been more creative (who knows, I might edit it to make it better). But I absolutely PROMISE the next chapter will be more exciting! This chapter was Mario, Luigi, and Sonic's turn, and so the next chapter will be Shadow and Bowser's turn... Oh no! What could their challenge be?!  
>  I am currently very stressed at the moment because I have school starting soon and I have to finish my summer reading (Frankenstein whoop whoop). This chapter was sort of a relief/break for me. Thank you all who waited!  
>  QOTD: What is you current obsession? (It can be a book, movie, video game, food, music, etc)  
>  My AOTD: My current obsession is the musical Finding Neverland! It's about the author J. M. Barrie and how he was inspired to write Peter Pan (it's based on the movie). Matthew Morrison from Glee plays Barrie, and it's like the role was written for him

On the other side of the Portal, the team enters into nothingness. Everything around them is pitch-black as they float around the space.  
"Whoa, this anti-gravity is cool!" exclaims Sonic.  
"Enough with the fun, Sonic!" Knuckles snaps. "Pumpkin and Bowsay said we had to listen to everything we told them. Well, where are they?!"  
"Right you are, Knuckles," Pumpkin says as she walks in, followed by Bowsay.  
"Bowsay! Pumpkin! You two again?!" Wendy squeals.  
"Don't act surprised, Wendy. We said we'd be waiting for you!" Bowsay snaps.  
"And now it's time for Phase One of your escape. Sonic, Mario, and Luigi, it's your turn!" Pumpkin announces. "You must face your fears!"  
"Well that's not gonna be hard for me, because I'm not afraid of anything!" Sonic claims. "You're not afraid of anything either, Mario, aren't you?"  
"Um..." Mario shrugs and says, "Not-a that I can think of...?"  
"We'll see about that!" Bowsay smirks. She and Pumpkin then fade and disappear with the darkness.  
Luigi starts to shiver.  
"What's-a wrong, Luigi?" Mario questions.  
"G-G-GHOSTS!!!!!" he screams.  
"C'mon, Luigi, you've faced ghosts before, it can't be that bad now!" Sonic tries to encourage him.  
"Hehehehehe!" A Boo appears. Other ghosts then scatter throughout the area.  
"Mario, you still have those flashlights from before, right?" Sonic assumes.  
Mario nods and reaches in his back pocket, but he finds nothing there. "Aaaaah! Never mind!"  
"Well, I'm sure we can still escape these ghosts, can't we?" Sonic encourages.  
"Stop trying to make things look easy, Sonic!" Knuckles complains. "Saying we can do it won't make anything happen!"  
"Knuckles is right," Rouge agrees, "we need to stop talking and start doing!"  
Wow, Bat Girl actually agrees with me for once, thought Knuckles.  
"Okay, then how ARE we gonna DO it?!" Priness Daisy demands. "The only way to defeat these ghosts is to shine light at them, so how are we gonna find light???!!!"  
"Daisy, calm down!" Peach says.  
"I cain't calm down until we know how to get these wild Boo thangs away!" Daisy complains.  
"Daisy, shut UP!" Knuckles jumps and pounds the ground hard enough for water to splash Daisy in the face.  
"Ew, Knuckles, what was that for?!" Daisy whines.  
"To get you to SHUT UP, in case you didn't hear my last sentence!" Knuckles affirms, turning around and crossing his arms. Yeesh, Daisy.  
"How many times do we need to say this?! Stop arguing and work together!!!" Blaze demands. Daisy and Knuckles look at Blaze, then at each other, and remain silent.  
Blaze then uses her pryokinesis to destroy a Boo. "My fire will be bright enough to defeat them. Until then, just stay away from them."  
"Wait a second..." thought Amy.  
"What's the matter, Amy?" Tails asks.  
"The water that Knuckles used to splash Daisy... Where did it come from?" the pink hedgehog observes.  
"It came from your face, Amy, cause all you do is cry about Sonic!" Larry Koopa insults.  
"Ah! Larry! That wasn't very nice of you!" Amy snaps back.  
"Sorry, I just had to do it!" the youngest Koopaling laughs.  
"Larry, we don't know if we're gonna live any longer from this point," Ludwig informs his little brother, "so now we need to save the jokes for later and get serious!"  
"Thank you, Ludwig," Amy says, "at least one of the Koopalings has somewhat of common sense!"  
"What?! I have common sense!" Morton Jr. roars.  
"I never said you didn't, Morton Jr.!" Amy informs.  
"ENOUGH!" Ludwig roars. "Sorry, Amy, dear, I'll handle him..."  
Ludwig might just be the only Koopaling with common sense, thought Amy.  
Morton Jr. really doesn't have any common sense... thought Ludwig.  
"Bah... Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi! (Guys... The water's getting higher!)" Yoshi points out.  
"I guess I was wrong when I said I wasn't afraid of anything..." Sonic admits. "I forgot, I'm definitely afraid of water..."  
"Well now we know Luigi and Sonic's fears," Starlow points out. "Now we just gotta be ready for Mario's, whatever his is."  
Mario shrugs and says, "I don't-a know."  
"Well, if there's too much water, I won't be able to use my fire to get rid of the ghosts," Blaze informs.  
"Well, are we just gonna sit here and drown while the ghosts devour our souls???!!!" Rouge reminds the team. "How are we all gonna get out of here???!!!"  
Dr. Eggman adjusts his eyepiece. "There is definitely an exit out of this place. An exact location is unknown."  
"We're gonna have to just search for the exit then if it's the only thing we can do!" Kamek says.  
"No duh, wizard, it's not like we're just gonna stand here and let it come to us," says Espio.  
"MARIO!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!" Princess Peach screams. The team turns around and sees her being taken by ghosts.  
"Kidnapping Peach?! THAT'S MY JOB!!!!!!!!!!" Bowser roars.  
"Of course Mario's fear is losing Peach... No surprise there..." Shadow mumbles.  
"OOOK OOOOK!!!!!!" Donkey Kong gets the team's attention.  
"Guys... The water level's getting too high... We're gonna have to swim!" Princess Blaze informs.  
"Oh no! But what about Sonic?" Amy asks in worry.  
"Don't worry, I got Sonic!" Vector affirms.  
"Thanks, Vector, I appreciate it!" Sonic says.  
"No problem! I'm a crocodile, I was born to swim, so you're safe with me!"  
"Okay! Now let's go save Peach!" Amy shouts.  
Mario replies with a "YAHOO!" Anything for you, Peach!  
As the team swims throughout the giant mass of water, avoiding all ghosts, they come across a giant jeweled door.  
"Wait a minute..." Blaze thinks for a second. This door's design looks familiar somehow...  
"Daisy!" She asks, "Do you still have the jeweled key from back when the Boos invaded the Olympic Stadium?"  
"As a matter o'fact, I do!" The flower princess answers as she takes out the key. "Maybe it'll unlock the gate!"  
"Hold up a sec!" Starlow interrupts, "We can't leave without Peach!"  
"Chances are Peach will be on the other side of the door," Blaze predicts. "We have no time to waste. Either we go through that door or we drown in this water and die. For the team?"  
The whole team nods. They all put their hands in the middle and shout, "For the team!"  
Daisy then inserts the key to unlock the door, and the team swims through.


	38. Phase Two - Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \----------------------------------------------  
>  WOHOO!!!!!!! New chapter!!!!!!!! So that was Shadow and Bowser... What do you think will happen next? Please comment what you thought of this chapter!  
>  I still have to finish my summer reading... I have 10 chapters left of Frankenstein and I start school August 17th... I'm both excited and not excited for junior year, I got my schedule today and got some sucky teachers...  
>  QOTD: Who's part in the chapter do you think was sadder, Shadow's or Bowser's, and why?  
>  My AOTD: For me, Shadow's. I made up Bowser's whole backstory, but every Shadow fan should know about Maria. I almost cried writing Shadow's part. I cry writing my own fanfic, how do I think of all this

"HOLY MOTHER OF EARTH I CAN BREATHE!!!!!!" Sonic exasperates as he breathes deeply. All the water from before disappeared on the other side of the door. Instead of black, the whole surrounding area is bright white.  
"Mario!" Princess Peach calls.  
"Peach!" Mario runs to hug his love. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes, Mario, I'm okay, and I feel better now that you're here." Peach kisses Mario on the cheek, and Mario blushes.  
"Peach! I'm glad yu're okay!" Princess Daisy affirms.  
"We were worried about you!" Amy admits.  
"Princess Peach! Do you know where we are?" Starlow asks.  
"No, I'm not really sure," Peach answers. "I haven't seen Bowsay or Pumpkin-"  
"HERE WE ARE!" Bowsay announces with an evil grin as she and Pumpkin enter.  
"Not like you missed us or anything," Pumpkin adds.  
Mario then jumps in front of Peach in defense.  
"Don't worry, Mario, we're not gonna kidnap her!" Bowsay laughs. She then turns to Bowser and says, "Unlike a certain other monster I know!"  
Bowser is tempted to speak out, but he remains calm and only growls.  
"Ha! I thought so, Papa!" Bowsay taunts.  
"So, Mario, Luigi, and Sonic, you three did very well facing your fears," Pumpkin says, "but now it's time for Phase Two!"  
"And this time, Papa, Shadow, it's your turn!" Bowsay says. "In this phase, you two will get to talk to one person who you love very much who is deceased!"  
Shadow and Bowser then become alert, knowing exactly who the one person for each of them is.  
"Good luck with that," Pumpkin says sarcastically as she and Bowsay disappear into nothingness.  
Shadow's POV  
"Shadow! Shadow!"  
I knew it! That's her! That's her voice!  
"Maria!" I call out.  
I look out to see Maria in the distance. I start to run to her, just ready to see her again because I've missed her much. I need her back in my life.  
But right before I can hug her, she shouts, "Don't touch me, Shadow!"  
What? She just told me not to touch her... She's never like that...  
"Maria... It's been so long..."  
"Yes, Shadow, I know it has!" She says aggressively.  
What's with her attitude? Why does she seem so frustrated with me?  
"Maria... Is something wrong?" I ask, trying to be gentle with her.  
"Shadow... What happened to the promise you made to me on the ARK fifty years ago..." Maria asks in a calmer tone. "To give the people of Earth a chance to be happy... Did you forget about it? Why did you break it?"  
"I would never break your promise, Maria," I answer, "I've never forgotten it, and I never will!"  
"Shadow... Don't lie to me... What have you become?" Maria mutters.  
"I'm honestly the same as I've always been - Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate life form, created to save humanity!"  
"But you're not saving humanity anymore, you're only destroying it!" She cries.  
I sigh. "Maria... I know I've caused a lot of destruction, and I'll never forgive myself for it... But I want you to know that I will never stop fighting to save humanity!"  
"I believe you already have," Maria replies. "The world only sees you as a threat now because of how powerful you are. The military was right to invade the ARK fifty years ago. I'm happier dead than living in a world of your destruction!"  
No... Maria... How... How could you say that... How could you do this to me...  
"Shadow! Don't listen to her! It's all just a trick!" Sonic warns me.  
"Stay out of this, Sonic!" I demand.  
I turn back around and ask, "Maria... Fifty years ago, you were the most loving person I ever knew... You and the professor were always there to take care of me and make sure I was okay... What happened to the Maria I knew and loved fifty years ago?"  
"No, I should be asking you," Maria replies. "What happened to the Shadow I knew fifty years ago? I thought I could trust you! I thought you were my best friend!"  
"Maria, you were my best friend, and you will always be in my heart," I affirm to her as I reach out to touch her shoulder.  
"I said don't touch me!" Maria wails as she pushes me away. "Shadow... You don't even have a heart anymore... All the cruelty you've done has ripped it out and torn it to pieces... Not even your sister has caused so much destruction as you have..."  
There it is again. My unknown sister that I can't remember. She must be real if Maria knows about her. But I'm not gonna worry about her right now. Now I must worry about Maria.  
"Maria... You don't understand... Everything I do is for you!"  
"You would destroy humanity for me? Shadow, that's not what I asked for! You should've never been created! It's because of you that I'm dead! It's all your fault, Shadow!"  
No... Maria... How could you say this... I've been told that I wasn't worth it many times throughout my life, especially by Black Doom and Mephiles, but Maria, you telling me this is the worst thing that could ever happen to me...  
"Well, if the world chooses to be my enemy, then..." I pause, look down, close my eyes and shake my head. I can't do this. Not for you, Maria.  
"What, Shadow?" Maria demands. "The world already is your enemy, so what will you do?"  
This is the hardest thing I could ever say. It was so easy to say to Mephiles, but it's so difficult to say to Maria.  
"I'll fight... Like I always have..." That was what I said before, and now I have to add to make it clear to her,  
"For you..."  
"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog..." Maria then fades into shadows in front of me.  
"Maria!" I call out, "Please don't leave me... I've never loved anyone more than I've loved you..." I reach out to grab her shadows, but she has already disappeared.  
I fall on my knees and bang my fist to the ground. I'm such a mistake.  
Tails comes to comfort me. "Don't listen to anything she said, Shadow!"  
"I listen to everything Maria says," I growl. Tails didn't know her, he doesn't know how I feel.  
"She was right... I never should've been created... It's all my fault..."  
"That's not true!" Knuckles confirms.  
"That can't be the real Maria!" Sonic assures.  
"I know that somewhere out there, Shadow, the real Maria is watching out for you," Amy affirms, "and she still loves you and appreciates everything you do for her!"  
"How do you know that wasn't the real Maria?" I question. "You weren't alive when she was. She doesn't love me anymore... And if she doesn't love me, then I don't see a point in living... I'm nothing but a failure."  
"Hey, don't go there!" Vector tries to encourage me. "Things could be better! You could be-"  
"Don't talk to me, Vector," I snap.  
Rouge then says, "Hey, Shadow, c'mon now, we're just trying to-"  
"You too, Rouge! NO ONE talk to me!" I growl. I then pause, take a deep breath, and say, "No one talk to me... Ever."  
Bowser's POV  
"Bowser! Bowser!"  
It's her... That's her voice! It's her!  
"Clawdia!" I call out.  
I see Clawdia in the distance and start to run to her. Oh, I've missed you so much honey! I - AAAAGH!!!! Why did she tail slash me?! What did I do?! I just wanted to hug her!!!!!  
"Bowser, I'm very disappointed in you," Clawdia admits.  
"What? What's the matter?" What did I do wrong? I'd never wanna disappoint Clawdia!  
"What have you done to my kids?" she demands.  
"They're our kids!" I correct.  
"You've raised them to be such monsters! Bowser, how could you?" she says in worry.  
"I try to raise them as best as I can! It's hard being a father of nine children and a king at the same time!" The Clawdia I fell in love with would understand, so I hope she understands now...  
"You are a foolish King of Koopas! You're not the Bowser I fell in love with anymore! You've changed since my death!"  
"Clawdia... I know I've made mistakes, but I went mad because..." I can't. I can't do this.  
"What, Bowser? What made you go so mad? Just tell me!" Clawdia begs.  
"LOSING YOU MADE ME GO MAD!!!!!" I roar. "Losing you... And meh Papa..."  
"I don't think you understand," Clawdia says. "That's not what I would've wanted you or anyone to do after my death. Bowser, how could you do this to me? To my kids?"  
It was my Koopamentiasis, I answer silently. I can't say it in from of the Koopalings or Junior.  
"Clawdia, I told you, they're OUR kids!" I remind her.  
"Only Bowsay and Junior are!" She announces.  
All the Koopalings and Junior gasp.  
"Papa... Is that true?" Iggy asks.  
"Yes, Iggy boy, it's true," I answer. "Clawdia is y'all's mother, but... I ain't y'all's father. Bowsay and Junior are meh only children."  
Junior then crosses his arms and grunts. What's his issue? I thought he was proud to be my son!  
"Their real father would've raised them better than you, Bowser!" Clawdia insults. "If you were half the Koopa Morton was, at least you would've raised the children properly!"  
"The Koopalings wouldn't even be alive if Morton hadn't given yeh that Rainbow Herb to save yer life!" No one else has any idea what I'm talking about right now...  
"Morton..." Morton Jr. mumbles. Then he asks, "Is that who I'm named after, Papa?"  
"Yes," I answer, "now please stay out of this!"  
"Bowser... You never treat the Koopalings like your children..." Clawdia shudders. "You only treat them like your slaves..."  
"Never, Clawdia!" I affirm. "I would never make them my slaves! I love them with all mah heart, and they love meh too! Right kids?"  
A cheer of agreement comes from the Koopalings. Atta children!  
But nothing comes from Junior. He only continues to pout, and it's really worrying me.  
"Clawdia... From the moment I saw yeh, you were the most beautiful, loving Koopa I'd ever met. Everything I do is for you, because I loved yeh more than anything, and yeh loved meh in return!"  
"You choose to capture an innocent princess for no reason and plan to rule an empire with her?!" Clawdia roars. "You are such a selfish King of Koopas!"  
"Clawdia, yeh don't understand! You were always there to love meh and support meh no matter what! I'd rather die than live a life without ya!"  
"Why do you even live, Bowser?! I wish you could just die before you do anything more evil! You were such a waste of time! The world would be so much happier without you!"  
"Clawdia... I..." How... How could she say this to me... How could she betray me...  
"When I first met you, I saw through your horrifying appearance and thought you actually had a heart inside," Clawdia informs. "But now I know that you have no heart... You're just as horrifying on the inside as you are on the out..."  
"Clawdia..." It's so hard to say this, but I have to do it. "After yer death, Ludwig's egg hatched. It was sad that yeh weren't alive to see it. But I promised to Ludwig that I would be a good father to him and to all the rest of the children... And it's a promise I intend to keep!"  
Clawdia pauses. Then she shakes her head and says, "Goodbye, Bowser." She then disappears into black shadows.  
"Clawdia! Wait!" I roar as I reach to grab her shadows. "Please don't leave me! I love you!" But Clawdia is gone before my eyes.  
I get on my knees and roar. Clawdia was right. I'm such a monster. Why am I even alive.  
"Papa... I'm so sorry..." Wendy says in comfort.  
"Yo Paps, we gotcha," Roy says.  
"We'll always love you, Papa!" Lemmy exclaims as he bounces on his ball.  
"You're the best dad EVER!" Larry says with excitement.  
Gosh, I love my kids so much, they remind me that I'll always be loved. They all give me a group hug.  
Except Junior. And he and Bowsay are all I have left of Clawdia.  
But hey, even Mario and Luigi and their pesky friends look sorry!  
Shadow the Hedgehog then comes over. We join our hands in a hi-five-handshake.  
"Don't worry, Bowser, you're not alone," Shadow informs me. "We're fighting the same battle, and we're in this together."  
"Thank you, Shadow," I appreciate. Shadow understands how I feel.  
"Now that's the Shadow I know!" Rouge says with a smile.  
Shadow slightly grins at Rouge in appreciation and hugs his best friend.  
Another jeweled door suddenly appears.  
"Shadow! Bowser! You did it! You faced your loved ones!" exclaims Amy. "Now let's go to the next phase and get back to our time!"  
Yeesh, Amy, now's not a good time to be peppy and excited...  
Daisy uses her key to unlock the door, and the whole team enters. I sure hope nothing worse will happen next...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Shadow/Bowser


	39. Phase Three - Separate

"It seems you've made it all the way here as a whole," Pumpkin says to the team as they enter the next phase.  
"But I can't guarantee you will be leaving as a whole," Bowsay warns.  
"Yoshi! (Never!)" exclaims Yoshi. "Yoshi yoshi, Yoshi Yoshi! (Once a team, always a team!)"  
"Yoshi's right," Silver agrees. "We've made it this far together, we're gonna finish this together!"  
"Ha! Such fools!" Bowsay insults. "You have no idea what you're about to get in to!"  
"Now Tails, my brother, it's your turn," Pumpkin says.  
"Same to you, Junior!" Bowsay sneers.  
"You both know why Bowsay and I are who we are now," Pumpkin reminds them.  
"And now for the third and final phase, you have to tell all of them why!" Bowsay says, gesturing towards the rest of the team.  
"Otherwise, you'll be stuck here forever, and you'll never make it back to your own time!" Pumpkin warns.  
"They're not gonna listen to us, but they'll surely listen to you!" Bowsay cackles as she and Pumpkin once again fade away and disappear.  
Tails' POV  
"Tails, you know why Pumpkin is evil?" Sonic questions in excitement. "This should be a piece of cake for you! Just tell us and we can get outta here in a snap!"  
"Um, Sonic, it's a lot more complicated than that..." How can I do this? Sonic is my best friend in the whole universe, I don't know if I can tell him any of this...  
"Okay, we understand!" Sonic says with a thumbs up. "Just tell us whenever you're ready!"  
"Okay... I don't know when I'll be ready..." I can't do this. I just can't. I can't lose my best friend.  
"YOU'RE SUCH A COWARD, TAILS!" I hear Pumpkin's voice say inside of me.  
"AAAAAGH!!!!" I shriek to Pumpkin's voice and squat. The anger in her voice hurts me internally.  
"Tails, are you okay?" Sonic asks as he rushes to put his paw on my shoulder.  
"I don't know..." I answer. I'm so lost.  
"What's the matter?" Sonic asks in worry. "You know you can tell me anything! We're best buddies! ...Right?"  
"Well... you see..." Okay, here it goes. It's now or never.  
"While I was away from the team, I faced Pumpkin. And she was really mad at me. Back when she was staying in my workshop, she isolated herself from others because she didn't wanna hurt them, and I was always there to take care of her. But she told me she felt even more lonely because..."  
"Because what?" Sonic questions.  
Okay. Here it goes. I'm so sorry, Sonic. I don't wanna do this, but I have to.  
"Because I wasn't there to take care of her anymore... Because I was always on adventures with you, Sonic."  
There. I said it. It's out there. And Sonic heard it.  
"Oh..." Sonic pauses and doesn't know what to say. Oh no, I feel so bad now!  
"Well, why didn't you just tell me, Tails?" Sonic asks. "I would've let you stay with her!"  
"I didn't realize she felt that way until I most recently faced her!" I admit.  
"Oh, well, Tails, I'm so sorry..." Sonic apologizes, still in shock.  
"Did Pumpkin mention me at all?" Shadow demands.  
"Um..." I don't think she did, I remember that Pumpkin and Shadow were good friends. "Not that I can remember, Shadow."  
"Hm, not even I was company enough to her," Shadow crosses his arms.  
Okay, whatever Shadow means by that...  
"Tails, if you need some space, just tell me, okay?" Sonic says.  
"Sure, thanks Sonic," I answer casually.  
"C'mere, buddy!" Sonic comes to hug me.  
"NO!" I shout, but that sounded really rude, and I can't be rude to Sonic. I take some deep breaths and say, "I'm sorry... Right now I really need space."  
Sonic is speechless for a moment. He then starts to back away and says, "Okay, Tails, I understand."  
I'm so sorry, Sonic. I don't know if you do understand.  
"Okay, I'm done..." I announce shyly. "It's your turn, Junior."  
Bowser Jr.'s POV  
"HA Tails! Is that all you got? That was weak!" I swear that fox needs more confidence...  
"Well, Junior, what do you need to say?" Papa asks.  
Oh Papa. Just wait for it.  
"My brothers and sisters - well, ONE sister, Wendy - you saw what our mama looked like in the last phase, did you not?"  
A chorus of "yes"s come from the Koopalings.  
"But you never knew her, did you not?"  
"No," they say.  
"Well, I know why we never knew her," I admit.  
The Koopalings gasp.  
Papa gasps as well. "Junior... I never talk about Clawdia with anyone... How could you know about her?"  
Oh Papa, you have no idea what you're about to get in to!  
"Because while I was away from you guys, I faced Bowsay, and she told me all about it! Just listen to this!"  
I hold up an audio recorder and press the Play button.  
"Leave, Clawdia!" Papa roars. "LEAVE!!!"  
All the Koopalings gasp and whisper amongst themselves.  
"But Bowser, I only-" my mother started.  
Then Papa interrupted,  
"You mustn't be here! You cannot!"  
"Honey, please, trust me! I know-"  
"No, yeh don't-"  
"LET ME FINISH!!!!! For goodness sake!" My mother growled.  
Then there was a pause that sounded like an object or two falling to the ground.  
"If you can't do this, then I'm gonna eat your brain!" Dad grumbled.  
A huge shriek comes from the Koopalings, and a gasp from Papa.  
Don't act like you didn't know this already, Papa. You know you did it.  
"No, Bowser! NOOOOO!!!!!" My mother cried. My father roared while my mother screamed. Then there was silence. Dead silence. The audio stops.  
"You see, Papa killed our Mama!" I announce.  
"Papa, is it true?!" Morton Jr. roars.  
"No, it's not!" Papa says. "Where did you even get that, Junior?!"  
"Does it matter, Papa?" I defend. "Don't lie to us - we all clearly heard you in this recording!"  
"But it's just a recording!" Papa fights back. "You weren't there to see it, how could you know?!"  
"Hahaha! Excuses, excuses, excuses!" I laugh. "It was after I faced Bowsay that I realized how blind I've been all my life! You really tried to play us fools, huh, Papa? Well, I think you're the fool now! Hehehehe!"  
"Papa, how could you do this?!" Wendy demands.  
"Wendy, girl, I didn't-"  
"Yes you did!" Iggy interrupts. "How dare you manipulate us like that!"  
All the Koopalings shout at Papa. The job has been done.  
But Ludwig's not shouting for some reason... He looks more sorry than angry.  
Well, enough of that. I'm gonna take back over.  
"You should be ashamed of yourself, Papa," I say. "Who's brain are you gonna eat next, ours? Any of the Koopalings'? Or Bowsay's?"  
"Junior! ENOUGH!" Papa roars. "You are highly mistaken... I'd never murder Clawdia, and I'd never murder y'all either!"  
"Oh really?" Here comes the next part! "Well, according to the Koopa Code, the oldest son of the ruler's children is supposed to be the heir to the throne. So tell me, Papa - why am I the heir, and not Ludwig?"  
"Because you're actually my child, while Ludwig isn't!" Papa admits.  
Ludwig gasps. "Papa!"  
"Ludwig!" Papa calls out. "I didn't mean it like that, I meant-"  
"Ha! What a fool!" I insult.  
Wow... For the first time ever, I feel like a true leader! I'm not afraid to speak the truth with such confidence! I can be in charge of myself without Papa taking care of me! And it feels wonderful!  
"The Koopa Troop has been through many problems since you came to the throne, Papa. Well, now it's time to fix these problems." I pause and stare at Papa. He stares back at me. You got this, Junior, you got this.  
"As I requested earlier, now I demand you. Give me the Koopa Throne, Papa, and I'll fix every single problem you've caused in this Kingdom!"  
"Junior, no... I can't!" Papa answers in worry.  
"No again?" Well, now the party's getting started! I pull out my Magic Brush. "If this is what you want, then come get it from me!"  
TAKE THIS, PAPA- really? Are Papa and I frozen AGAIN right before we attack? Can I just... UGH!!!!  
Silver the Hedgehog is holding his arms out, using his psychokinesis to hold me and Papa still. He the drops his arms, and Papa and I drop out positions.  
Tails puts his paw on my shoulder and says, "You did good enough, Junior. You were starting to take it a little far. Let's wait to do that when we get out of here, okay?"  
I sigh. "Okay. You're right, Tails."  
Tails and I hug.  
"It was great working with you, Junior! I'm glad we can be allies when we need to!" Tails says in appreciation.  
"Yeah, Tails, good to work with you too," I casually answer.  
"Birdooooo!" Birdo points in a direction.  
"Guys, I think Birdo found the door!" Cream informs the team.  
"YAY I AM SO READY TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!" exclaims Charmy Bee.  
"We know, Charmy," Espio the Chameleon says.  
"We all are!" Vector agrees.  
"Well, let's get goin'!" Daisy says in excitement as she unlocks the door.  
"Mario, you ready?" Sonic asks.  
Mario gives off a "YAHOO!"  
Suddenly Mario doesn't make me as angry as he used to...  
"Bowsay and Pumpkin said we wouldn't be leaving as a whole," I mutter to Tails. "But we're all still here! What could they be talking about?"  
"Maybe they meant our relationship as a team wouldn't be whole," Tails guesses. "Before, we were all determined to work together, but now a good amount of us have lost trust in each other."  
Tails has a good point. We're all still together literally, just not figuratively.  
As the rest of the team jumps through the door, Tails and I jump through with them.  
Finally. Back to our own time. But I don't know if it will be the same as it was before ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Tails/Bowser


	40. Pumpkin's Path to Truth

It's been a lot of hard work training with Mephiles, but I hope it will all pay off in the end. I still wonder, though... Is killing Tails really the right thing to do? And Shadow? What good is it really gonna do? Would it really be worth it to do that just to see Mother again? That's not what she would've wanted...  
"Pumpkin! You haven't improved a single bit!" Mephiles threatens.  
Funny how Mephiles now looks all crystallized... He originally looked just like Shadow!  
"Mephiles, I have worked as hard as I could, and I don't feel like I'm getting any credit for it!" I sneer.  
"Don't you dare back-talk me, young lady," Mephiles snaps. "Why would you let Sonic and his friends go back to their own time?! You were supposed to keep them imprisoned in this time!"  
"I may have let them go back, but now they're not as united as a team as they used to be. They're slowly starting to fall apart," I reply.  
"You still let them escape, though," Mephiles sneers. "They're only going to reunite again and then defeat you in the end!"  
"Why can't you at least be proud of me that I tried?!" I growl. "All you ever do is tell me I'm not doing well enough, even when I try as hard as I can!"  
"Do you really wish to fulfill your destiny, Pumpkin Prower?" He demands.  
"I don't know if what you say is my destiny really is my destiny," I admit. I'm starting to have second thoughts about everything now...  
"I don't train you to use you, Pumpkin," says Mephiles. "I train you because you must be ready for the cruel world out there. And you cannot survive without my teachings to you."  
"Yes, Mephiles." He's right. If I'm not ready to face what the world has for me, then I'll surely be a threat to everyone else. Why do I keep forgetting why I started training with Mephiles in the first place?  
Suddenly, a creature with three red eyes, long horns, and a decorated robe appears. Who is that? He looks kinda familiar, but I don't know where I've seen him...  
"Black Doom, we meet again," Mephiles says.  
Black Doom? I remember Shadow telling me about him.  
"Now who are you, may I ask?" Mephiles questions.  
"I was once the great leader of the Black Arms," Black Doom explains, "Until I was defeated by my own offspring, Shadow the Hedgehog."  
Shadow is his offspring? I think I remember Shadow telling me that, but Mephiles told me different...  
"Professor Gerald Robotnik created Shadow in his lab with my blood," Black Doom explains. "He was created to be the Ultimate Life Form. But then, the humans saw Shadow as a threat, and so they took away everything on the Space Colony ARK, including the life of Maria Robotnik, the professor's granddaughter.  
"As fifty years passed, Shadow forgot who he was, so I had to remind him about his past and about the cruelty of the humans. But as he discovered more and more about his past on his own, he pushed back on me. He destroyed the Black Comet and defeated me, his own creator. He thought I was gone forever, but I will return, stronger than ever, ready to get my revenge on him and the world!"  
"Wait a minute," I interrupt, "Black Doom, do you happen to have anything to do with the sun god Solaris?"  
"I know not what you talk about, Pumpkin," he answers me.  
What? How does he know my name?  
"Funny, because Mephiles, you told me that Shadow was the evil mind of Solaris, but this Black Doom is telling me different!" Has Mephiles been lying to me the whole time?  
"Very good!" Black Doom compliments. "You are an intelligent little fox, Pumpkin!"  
"Who are you, and how do you know I'm Pumpkin?" I demand.  
"You have no memories of your past, do you?" says Black Doom.  
"No... Only that I killed my mother when I was little, and I'll never forgive myself for it..." I look down and close my eyes. I really won't ever forgive myself.  
I open my eyes and look back up, demanding, "How can you possibly know about my past?"  
"If you want to know the secrets about your past, you must bring me the seven Chaos Emeralds!" Black Doom demands.  
"Slow down, Black Doom," Mephiles interrupts, "Pumpkin is already one of mine, and you cannot take her away from me!"  
"But Mephiles," I demand, "have you been... lying to me... this whole time?About Shadow?"  
"Pumpkin, everything I did for you was to protect you," Mephiles affirms.  
"But Black Doom has all the details about how Shadow was created. He apparently created Shadow himself and knows more of his personal information, yet you just tell me he's the mind and will of Solaris... Which one should I believe?"  
"Very good, Pumpkin," Black Doom congratulates. "A smart little fox you are!"  
Yay, at least Black Doom gives me credit...  
"Mephiles... Have you really been lying to me this whole time? Who exactly are you?" I question.  
The dark hedgehog laughs.  
"Hahahaha! I am Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark, the mind and will of Solaris, and I trained you so you would never have to hurt me!"  
Of course Mephiles is the evil part of Solaris! How am I not surprised?  
"You! You lied to me about everything! You were just trying to use me so you could steal my power of Iblis and reunite to form Solaris!" Everything now makes perfect sense!  
"Well, everything you taught me is about to come back and hurt you, Mephiles the Dark!" I threaten.  
"Come, Chaos! Let us teach this fool a lesson!" Chaos then flows into me.  
"You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I'm the bad guy!" Mephiles claims. "Prepare to meet your doom, Pumpkin Prower!"  
Mephiles then summons an army of shadow minions. He then melts into the ground and becomes my shadow.  
The shadow minions surround me and attempt to attack me. I use my Extended-Fire-Tail Swipe (the extension coming from Chaos and the fire coming from Iblis) to attack them. It's a piece of cake, but there are so many, and they just keep coming.  
"I'm your shadow... You can't even touch me," Mephiles says.  
Well great. If I can't even attack Mephiles, then how do I get rid of these shadows he's controlling? I'm not gonna fight them forever, there has to be a way.  
"Use your Chaos Blast, Pumpkin!" Black Doom advises me.  
Wait... Chaos Blast? I can do Chaos Blast? That's Shadow's move!  
"How can I do Chaos Blast if I'm not able to do Chaos Control?" I question Black Doom while still attacking Mephiles' shadows.  
"You are wrong, Pumpkin. You have the power inside of you!" Black Doom answers.  
Hm... Well, if he says I can do it, then I might as well try. I have a Chaos Emerald.  
I really hope this works. I take out my Chaos Emerald and say, "Chaos Blast!"  
Whoa... What is this... All of a sudden I feel so... So much more energy!  
"What?! Pumpkin! You...!" Mephiles says.  
It worked! Mephiles is no longer my shadow and now I am able to attack him!  
After hitting him a few times, I release a bolt of fire, along with a swirl of Chaos's water, delivering the final blow to Mephiles.  
Mephiles tumbles to the ground. He struggles to get up and says, "Not bad, Pumpkin Prower. I've taught you well."  
"I wish you didn't," I admit. "I wish you didn't train me to be so violent. I hate you, Mephiles the Dark."  
"Is that how you thank me, my pupil?" He growls. "Next time we meet, you'll wish you stayed with me!"  
Mephiles creates a Dark Portal and enters through it.  
"Mephiles! Come back here!" Darn it, the portal closed too fast...  
"Excellent, Pumpkin!" Black Doom affirms.  
"Black Doom..." I almost forgot he was here... "What do you want from me?"  
"I know the truth about your past that Mephiles does not," he informs me.  
"What truth?" I ask.  
"You, Pumpkin Prower, have a brother."  
"I know I have a brother! Tails is my brother!" What, is this guy crazy???!!!  
"If you want to know the truth about your brother and your past, you must bring me the seven Chaos Emeralds," Black Doom informs, and then disappears.  
"Whoever this Black Doom is," I say to myself, "if he says he knows the truth about my past, then, like it or not, I have to believe him... I don't know how he knew about my Chaos Control, but I wouldn't've been able to defeat Mephiles if it weren't for him. But what could he possibly know about Tails?"  
Well, I can't serve Mephiles any longer, not after all his lies to me. But maybe Black Doom can actually tell me the truth about everything. I might actually have hope in finding my true destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Pumpkin


	41. Bowsay's Path to Truth

Working with Fawful is a rough job. He's getting me prepared to murder Papa and Junior and the rest of the family. But... Is it really right for me to do this? I remember reading Darwin Koopa's teachings saying, "If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin." I don't believe killing anyone would make anything better, especially my own family... Papa killing Mama made everything worse...  
"Bowsay! Have you lost your fury?! Get back in your game!" Fawful orders.  
"Fawful, you have been working me too hard, I need a break!" I complain. It's true though, I'm really exhausted...  
"NEVER!" Fawful sneers. "Bowsay needs no coffee break! Coffee breaks only make everything longer!"  
"Breaks could make everything better if you just give me one!" I demand.  
"No complaining!" Fawful commands. "After all, you let Mario and his friends escape back to their time like a bunch of fleas jumping out of a jar! How dare you disobey me, Bowsay Koopa!"  
"Hey, maybe I let them escape, but at least I brought the team apart!" I remind him. I know I at least brought my family apart, but I don't know about Mario and his friends...  
"But Bowsay, you let them escape! They're only gonna mix back together and burn us in the end!" Fawful shouts.  
I don't know, I felt like I just had to let them go, because imagine how they would feel if they could never make it out... But I had to do something bad to them so Fawful would be proud of me for something and not be suspicious of me, but I don't think he even cares...  
"Do you wish to throw away your family and fulfill your destiny recipe?" Fawful demands.  
"I don't know if what you say is my destiny really is my destiny," I admit.  
"Bowsay, Fawful trains you so you will be ready to be who you are meant to be, and Fawful takes it serious as pie," Fawful affirms. "But if you refuse, then you may as well burn like barbecue, with sauce covered in all your regrets!"  
"Listen Fawful, I don't understand any of your food talk anymore, but -"  
"I don't either!" I hear a voice say. Who was that?  
Suddenly appears a floating magical jester. I feel like I've known him from somewhere...  
"YOU!!! What are you here for to interrupt Fawful again like that?!" Fawful complains. "You just keep appearing like a mosquito wanting a bite!"  
"Master of dimensions... Pleaser of crowds... I am... Dimentio!"  
"I KNOW you're that Demon Cheese thing!" Fawful retorts.  
"Hehehe! Such a surprise for you, Fawful!" Dimentio taunts.  
Dimentio... I remember Papa talking about him... But why does he feel so familiar somehow?  
"Dimentio... What is it you want?" I ask.  
"Ah, Bowsay! Your timing could not be more perfect!" Dimentio says.  
What? How does he know my name?  
"We know you're a master of dimensions and pleaser of crowds, but who exactly are you?" Fawful demands.  
"I once served Count Bleck," Dimentio begins, "but I only used him to steal the Chaos Heart all for myself!"  
"The Chaos Heart?" I ask. "What is the Chaos Heart?"  
"The Chaos Heart had all the power I needed in order to destroy the universe and then create a new one in my image!" informs Dimentio.  
Create a universe... In his image? I'm suspicious of this guy already...  
"I was willing to follow every step, every page of the Dark Prognosticus, and I was so close to succeeding! I had the Chaos Heart, Luigi, everything!"  
The Dark Prognisticus? What is that? And what did Luigi have to do with any of it?  
"However, my plans were ruined by this red plumber, pink princess, and monstrous turtle, the heroes predicted in the Light Prognosticus..."  
"Monstrous turtle?" I question. I understand Mario, and Peach, okay, but... Papa?  
"Haha, Bowsay, this monstrous turtle was your daddy!" Dimentio laughs. "Or... was he?"  
"Bowser, King of Koopas? Yes, he's definitely my father!" As much as I hate to admit it...  
"Oh yes, it was definitely Bowser," Dimentio answers. "But is Bowser really your father?"  
"What do you mean, 'is Bowser really my father'? Of course he's my father! I look just like him, despite all my colors, and I was raised by him my whole life!" Is this guy crazy???!!!  
"Or so you think, little girl!"  
"Prove it to me, then, you joker!" No one can just tell me that King Bowser is not my Papa!  
"Very well, then," Dimentio says. "Bring me the eight Pure Hearts, and then I shall tell you everything you need to know!"  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE COOKIE!!!!!" Fawful interrupts. "Bowsay already works for Fawful, you hear me?! She'll hunt for Pure Hearts when pork chop flies!"  
"Oh, but surely, Bowsay would like to know the truth about who she really is, wouldn't she?" Dimentio cackles.  
"That's okay, Dimentio, I know who I am," I answer. "Besides, I don't care about Papa anyways... He killed my Mama."  
"Killed your Mama?! Where did you hear THAT?! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" Dimentio laughs.  
"Fawful showed it to me!" I roar defensively. "And here's the proof!"  
I hold up the audio recorder and play the whole scene. Oh Papa, I only hate you more and more every day...  
"Hm, I see," Dimentio responds as soon as it finishes. "I see how you would think your daddy killed your mommy after hearing it... But did you actually see it?"  
"No, because my egg hadn't hatched yet!"  
"Oh Bowsay, you're so naïve!" the jester states.  
"What?! There's no way I could've seen it anyway!" How was I supposed to know?!  
"Well, I saw it myself," Dimentio admits, "and I will say, your mother is dead, but I know the truth behind it, and I will show it to you... And I will show you who you really are... As soon as you bring me the eight Pure Hearts!"  
Wait... Does Dimentio mean it? Does he know something I don't?  
Does he know something Fawful hasn't told me?  
"I told you, Dimentio, Bowsay works for Fawful and for Fawful only!" Fawful interrupts again.  
"Fawful... Is there something you haven't told me yet?" I was sure Fawful told me everything about what happened with Papa...  
"Oh, Fawful has told you a whole lot!" he cackles.  
"But did you tell me everything?! Or is there something you haven't told me yet?!" I demand. "Did Papa really kill my Mama?! Were you just trying to trick me?! To USE me?!"  
"Bowsay, why would Fawful USE you? All Fawful means to do is protect you!"  
"Because all you make me do is work work work, but Dimentio here is actually willing to help me! He says he actually knows what happened! You, on the other hand, seem to have not told me enough. If you really wanted to help me, you would've told me everything, would you not have?"  
"Fawful wishes to always help you! You are always more important than him, like milk is more important than cookies!" Fawful laughs.  
I can tell though that he doesn't mean it 100%. He doesn't put me before himself.  
"Well, you happen to know so much about the Dark Star, so you were just trying to use my power all for yourself, were you not?!"  
"Hahaha! Oh no! Of course I have no selfish!" Fawful admits, but I can tell he's lying...  
"You were just trying to turn me from my good ways so that everyone would listen to me, since no one listens to you, Fawful!" I knew there was something wrong about Fawful, and now I can finally see why!  
"Why, such a pleasant way to thank your master, Bowsay!" Fawful says sarcastically.  
"Yes it is," I say, "because everything you taught me, I'm now gonna teach them back to you!" All of my rage fuels my energy and gets me pumped!  
"Very well then. Midbus, come! Fawful calls you!"  
A humongous pig-armadillo creature drops into the scene.  
"Midbus! Squash her like a squash!" Fawful commands.  
"You. You Bowser's daughter. You easy bait for Midbus," Midbus threatens. His threat game is weak...  
"You think I'm weaker than Bowser because I'm his daughter? Even Fawful tells me I'm stronger than him!"  
"Fawful, she really stronger than Bowser?" Midbus asks his master.  
"Why of course not! Why would Fawful lie, hehehe?"  
Oh come on, Fawful, you're obviously lying...  
"Hey Demon Cheese! Do you have any more of that magic of yours?" Fawful requests from the jester.  
"Haha! You can't even get my name right!" Dimentio laughs. "Until then, no magic for you or your pig!"  
"Never mind you... Time to handle this the Fawful way!" Fawful pulls out a ray gun and shouts, "MIDBUS! POWER UP!"  
Fawful fires the ray gun at Midbus, turning Midbus blue, changing his shell color to light blue, and giving him a crown.  
"This time you freeze - freeze to your doom!" Blizzard Midbus threatens, but again, his threat game is weak...  
"Freeze? Ha! I'll melt all your ice and make you drink your defeat!" Hey, that was a pretty good comeback! That's such a Fawful thing to say, lol! XD  
"Come, Antasma! Let us see who really has Chortles!"  
"As you vish, Bowsay!" The Bat King acknowledges as he flies into me.  
In his first attack, Blizzard Midbus jumps real high and fires giant snowballs at me. I dodge them and block them with my shell. Too easy.  
Wha-? OW! He just whammed right into me as soon as he landed!  
Now he's rolling on top of a giant snow ball with a Bob-omb sticking out. If I hit, it might explode, but if I don't hit it, he might run over me...  
Here it goes - POW! I hit the Bob-omb in the other direction of the snowball, causing it to explode under Midbus. Sweet mercy that was nice!  
Midbus then starts firing giant snowballs at me again. After I avoid them all, he's gonna attempt to dive-punch me again.  
Powers of Antasma... GO!  
Blizzard Midbus dive-punches right through me and face-plants.  
He then recovers and attempts to dive punch me again, but - BAM! I counter-punch him back, sending him falling.  
Now it's time for the final finish!  
I start to breathe my blue fire and use my hands to shape it into a ball (and of course add some Dark Star power to it!). As the ball gets bigger and bigger and bigger, I fire it at Blizzard Midbus. Midbus is then unable to get up. I've done it this time.  
"Bowsay..." Fawful begins in shock, "...I knew it! Fawful knew he taught you well! It is done!"  
"Fawful, I work for you no longer!" I confirm.  
"Sad to see how this onion of mine made you cry," Fawful says sarcastically. A Dark Portal appears near him and Midbus. "But know that if you don't want easy, then easy you won't get... And always remember that I... I... have CHORTLES!!!!"  
Oh no! Fawful! Midbus! They're escaping!  
Bloody hell, the portal closed too soon...  
"Splendid, Bowsay!" Dimentio applauds. I almost forgot he was here.  
"Dimentio... What could you possibly know about me that I don't?"  
"I know exactly who made you, how you were made, and why you were made!"he says.  
But how... How can he know so much about me? I must have forgotten about him somewhere, because he still feels so familiar...  
"But I ask one more favor of you, sweet Bowsay."  
"And what is that?"  
"Would you be willing to assist me in the creation of my new universe in my image?"  
"What is that universe like?" It better not be anything evil...  
"It is a universe where we, every living creature, can all live in peace in harmony," Dimentio answers. "Everything is perfect, and there is no evil!"  
A perfect world with no evil? My, wouldn't that be a dream come true...  
"I'll do it." The world is too evil already, and I'll do anything to get rid of it.  
"Greatest thanks, Bowsay Koopa!" Dimentio says with gratitude. "As soon as you bring me the Pure Hearts, I shall give you everything you've ever dreamed of! ...Including the truth!"  
"Anytime, Dimentio!" I only just met this creature, but I feel pretty confident about this choice.  
"Until then, Ciao!" Dimentio creates square border around him, and he disappears as the square closes.  
I'm ready. I'm so ready. A universe where everything is perfect and no evil? I would do anything for that. Fawful only wanted the universe to himself, but Dimentio has a reasonable goal. Fawful only lied to me - well, he didn't tell me all of the truth - for himself, but maybe this time Dimentio will actually tell me the truth.  
And maybe I don't have to murder my family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowsey


	42. What Happens Next

Mario's POV  
MAMA MIA it's good to be back home after being away for so long! Especially back in my own time! Now I can just sit back, relax, and chill!  
"Mario!" Luigi calls out. "Where are all the others?"  
I shrug. "Probably back-a where they all belong-a!"  
"True, we are back at our own-a house," my brother agrees. "Peach and-a Daisy are probably back at-a their castles, Donkey Kong and-a Diddy Kong back at-a the jungle, Yoshi and-a Birdo back at-a Yoshi's Island, Wario and-a Waluigi making trouble, Bowser and-a his bunch are back at-a his castle, and-a Sonic and-a his friends are... wherever!"  
"Mario! Luigi!" We hear someone call and knock at our door. As Luigi and I answer, we see a Toad delivering the mail.  
"Here's a letter from Princess Peach!" says the Mail Toad.  
Luigi and I acknowledge the letter in thanks, walk back inside, and read the letter. I love when Peach sends me letters!  
Dear Mario and Luigi,  
You are invited again this year to come to the Star Festival in the Mushroom Kingdom! It will be so much fun this year and I cannot wait! Don't forget that I'll have a slice of cake for you like I always do ;)  
Love,  
Princess Peach XOXO  
Mama Mia, I didn't even realize the Star Festival was coming up! I'm so pumped! But I hope Bowser does not invade it this year...  
Luigi and I look at each other, give a little "Yahoo!" and take off for Princess Peach's castle.  
Sonic's POV

Man, it's good to be back in the time where I belong! Maybe it's not Mobius, but good!  
Oh hey! There's Tails, Knuckles, and Amy!  
"Where's the rest of the team?" Amy wonders.  
"Wherever they are, they can handle themselves," Knuckles replies.  
"Sonic," Tails holds out an envelope, "this invitation's for you."  
Oh man, after what happened, it feels so awkward talking to Tails now...  
Masking my grief with a smile, I say, "Nice! Let's see who it's from..." I open the envelope and read the letter.  
Dear Sonic,  
I haven't seen you in forever! It's been so long! I miss you a whole lot! I would like to invite you to the Sun Festival in Soleanna this year. You can bring any friends you like and they can have a blast too! I hope you read this and I hope to see you again!  
Sincerely,  
Princess Elise ❤️  
Aw Elise, how sweet of you! I miss you too!  
But still... One of the last things she talked about before she blew out the Solaris flame was that if she blew it out, we would never meet, it would never have happened... So how could she have remembered me?  
"Sonic? Is everything okay?" Amy interrupts my thoughts.  
I shake my head. "It's all good, Amy!"  
"Who was it from? What did it say?" Knuckles asks.  
"It was from Princess Elise of Soleanna, and she was inviting me to the Sun Festival this year," I answer. "She also said I could bring friends, so you guys are welcome to come with me!"  
"Count me in, Sonic!" Amy immediately responds.  
"Normally I wouldn't go," Knuckles replies, "but chances are Eggman is just gonna crash the party, so I'm up for it!"  
"You have a point there, Knuckles," I agree. "What about you, Tails?"  
Tails pauses for a sec and looks down. He then looks back up and answers, "Yeah, I'll go..."  
"You sure? You kinda hesitated there!" I point out. I hope he's okay...  
Tails shakes his head. "No, really, Sonic, I'm up for it! Let's go!"  
"Okay guys! Let's do this!"  
Bowser's POV

FINALLY IT TOOK LONG ENOUGH TO GET BACK TO MY OWN TIME!!!!! I'M SO SICK OF THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!! Well, it appears I'm back at the base with Dr. Eggman.  
"HOHOHO! It's good to be back!" Eggman says as he stretches his arms. "It's about time I invade Soleanna! Bowser, I believe you have a kingdom to invade too!"  
Oh crud, I didn't even realize the Star Festival was already here so soon...  
"Bowser? Is everything okay?" Eggman checks. "Where's the Big Bad Bowser I know?"  
"Sorry... I was kinda out fer a sec," I reply, shaking my head. Am I losing my game?  
No. I can't lose it now, not while I've come this far. I clear my throat and announce, "ELITE FORCE!!!!! EVERYONE TO YER AIRSHIPS!!!!! WE GOTTA KINGDOM TO CRUSH!!!!!!!!!!!"  
All my minions cheer and follow my orders. Oh look, there's Kamek!  
"Kamek!" I call out, "I need to ask yeh somethin'!"  
Kamek stops and asks me, "Yes, Lord Bowser, what is it?"  
"Do you think Bowsay really is meh daughter?"  
"Of course she is!" Kamek exasperates. "She looks just like you and Clawdia, and she and Junior are almost identical! Why would she not be?"  
"I dunno, someone just told meh that she wasn't." How could Dimentio tell me such trash?  
"Well, whoever it was, your gullibleness, I wouldn't listen to them," Kamek suggests. "They're just trying to deceive you!"  
Kamek is right. I really shouldn't listen to anyone trying to tell me different, especially if it's a trickster like Dimentio.  
"Kamek, are the Koopalings here?"  
"Yes they are, right at the end of that hall on the right."  
"Great, thanks." After what just happened, I need to talk to my children to tell them the truth about this whole misunderstanding about Clawdia. Right at the end of this hall on the right... There!  
I open the door and see the Koopalings and Junior messing around with each other. As soon as they see me, they stop what they're doing and stare.  
They're afraid of me.  
"Okay, fine, Papa, I'll go to my airship!" Junior whines as he stomps out the room before I can say a word. Why, my son, why?  
"Kids... I really wanna talk to yeh about somethin."  
"Go ahead, Papa," Ludwig says. At least he's willing to give me a chance.  
Here I go.  
"I know I ain't y'all's birth father. Both yer birth mother and birth father died before any of y'all were born. I'm sorry I never told any of y'all before."  
They all still stare at me in fear. I wanna tell them that I didn't really kill Clawdia, but I don't think they'll believe me... And I still feel too guilty to admit I killed my father either...  
I continue, "But I want y'all to know that I'll always love yeh and be there for yeh. Y'all are each a blessing to me. Yeh'll always be my children no matter what."  
And they still stare at me. Do they really not believe me?  
Finally, Ludwig says, "We love you too Papa!" He then comes up to give me a hug.  
Larry then squeals, "I love you, Papa!" and runs up to hug me, but then Roy pulls him back and says, "Get back, twerp. He killed our Mama, remember?"  
"No, Roy, I didn't-!" It's all a misunderstanding!  
"Don't try to convince us, Papa, Junior showed us the whole thing!" Wendy O. snaps.  
"Yeh may have heard it, but yeh didn't see it!" Clawdia was blindfolded, so she mistook my Papa for me! And obviously you can hear, but you can't see when someone is in blindfolds!  
"Whether Papa really DID kill Mama or not, and whether he really IS our father or not, I will always love him the same!" Ludwig roars in defense. That's my boy!  
But all the other Koopalings remain silent in shock. They're still not convinced.  
Finally, I tell my eldest Koopaling, "Ludwig, I want yeh to know that even if Junior is my child and yeh're not, I don't love yeh any less. Yeh're gonna do great things one day, I know it."  
"I understand, Papa, thank you!" Ludwig replies as we squeeze tighter.  
But Ludwig is the only one to hug me. All the other Koopalings still stare.  
"Well, bye, kids, fer now..." How can I convince them? All my children are turning against me one by one, starting with Bowsay, then Junior, and now the rest of the Koopalings... I've been such a terrible father...  
As I approach my airship, a Hammer Bro asks me, "Your grumpiness, is everything alright?"  
"Everything's fine," I lie.  
I look over and see Junior in his airship. He looks back at me and pouts. What have I done? How can he understand?  
Pushing that thought away, I roar, "TO MUSHROOM KINGDOM!!!!!!!!!"  
"MUSHROOM KINGDOM!!!!!" My minions echo as they start their airships.  
I don't know if I should do this. I know Peach will relieve me of my Koopamentiasis, but then there's Mario...  
What am I thinking. I have to do this. I've come too far to go back.  
Metal Sonic's POV

Oh boy it's good to be back! Too much time traveling made me feel malfunctioned...  
"Beep... (Dr. Eggman...)"  
"Yes, Metal Sonic?"  
"Bleep bop boopity beep bop? (Do you think Bowser and Bowser Jr. will be okay?)" I ask. Bowser didn't look so sure like he really wanted to do any evil, and Junior kinda stormed out without even saying hello...  
"Of course they will!" Dr. Eggman answers. "They're just going through a little father-son issue, they'll fix themselves eventually!"  
"Beep boop bop? (Are you sure?)"  
"Yes, Metal Sonic, I'm sure!" Dr. Eggman retorts. "Now stop your beeping! We have a party to crash!"  
I don't know if he really knows that for sure... One, he's never been a father, and two, he doesn't know Bowser and Junior's relationship. Honestly, I really don't think he cares. Normally I wouldn't care either, but Bowser Jr. is my best friend, and I'm not gonna let him down.  
I follow Dr. Eggman onto the Egg Carrier. I've never been to Soleanna before, but I've done this a million times and I know what the Doctor expects of me. I could just take over the kingdom myself, but considering everything else that's happening, maybe not this time...  
"Egg Carrier ready to launch!" Dr. Eggman commands.  
I really shouldn't worry about Junior and his dad right now. Eggman was right. They can fix themselves.  
Let's go crash a party!  
Mario's POV

Wow, the Star Festival is beautiful tonight! Everyone is so happy, and look at those raining Star Bits! This is gonna be a great celebration!  
"Ook ookie OOK!" I hear a call.  
I turn around and see Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.  
"Donkey Kong!" Luigi says in excitement. "Were you and-a Diddy Kong invited too?"  
Both of the monkeys nod. Diddy Kong then shoots a peanut at Luigi's forehead, causing Luigi to fall on his butt.  
Hahaha! Look at my brother! He's such a goober!  
Luigi then gives me a "Really, Mario?" look.  
As I help Luigi up, I hear another call, "Hello Yellow, Mario!"  
"Starlow!"  
"And Luigi! What are you doing here?" Starlow then knocks Luigi to the ground again.  
Okay, I'm laughing so hard right now!  
"Mario! Stop-a laughing!" Luigi complains as he gets himself up.  
"Mario! Luigi!" Prince Dreambert calls out. "I received an invitation to this festival from Princess Peach! Such a wonderful Kingdom you have here!"  
Luigi and I smile and give a "Yahoo!" I'm glad Dreambert could come to a celebration as big as this one!  
I then hear Princess Daisy call, "Mario! Luigi!"  
I see her with Yoshi and Birdo. They were invited too!  
"Bah! Yoshi Yoshi! (Mario! Luigi! Good to see you here!)" Yoshi says.  
"Birdo Birdo birdooooo... (It's good to be out of that disgusting future...)" Birdo says.  
"Ya kidding me?!" Starlow complains. "I was time-hopping so much, I felt like I was gonna puke all over time!"  
Okay, Starlow, we didn't need to know that much...  
"Luigi, hun, it's great to see ya here!" Daisy says as she kisses him on the cheek.  
Luigi blushes, and then Daisy elbows him down.  
Hahaha! Poor Luigi, he's getting beat up so much tonight, it's just so funny!  
"What-a was that-a for, Daisy?!" Luigi demands.  
"Hahaha! I'm jus' messin' with ya! You know I love ya!" Daisy admits as she helps Luigi up.  
Luigi then says to me, "Well, Mario, I found-a my princess, so now you must-a go find-a yours!"  
"Have-a fun, Luigi!" I say as I make my way toward Peach's castle.  
On my way there, I hear an explosion behind me.  
Of course... Bowser's here... Why am I not surprised?  
Wait a minute... As the smoke clears, that's not Bowser... That's Wario and Waluigi!  
"Waluigi, I didn't say 'go!'" Wario says.  
"Eh! Was it on three or after three?" Waluigi asks.  
"I said after three, but you went on three!" Wario jabbers.  
Really, Peach? You invited them? I feel like they're gonna blow up this place before I can make it to the castle...  
Well, that's all of the team! Except for Sonic and them, but they know how to handle themselves.  
Oh wait, Bowser and his children are missing too - well, they don't matter, anyways...  
Mama Mia! Another explosion! That definitely wasn't Wario and Waluigi! I guess I spoke too soon, because... !  
I look up and see Bowser's Airship Fleet. Of course it's Bowser. Who else would find a more proper way to crash a party?  
Mama mia, I need to save Peach!  
I make a mad dash towards her castle as Bowser begins to speak, "Princess Peach, you are invited once again to join me in the creation of my galactic empire in the center of the universe! You and I will rule the universe, every corner, for all time! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
Peach stands there in silence. Don't worry, honey, I'll rescue you!  
Bowser continues, "This time, with the help of my fellow Dr. Eggman, my Galactic Empire in the center of the universe is stronger than ever, and it will be UNSTOPPABLE!!!! MWAHAHA!!!!! The party is OVER!!!!!"  
Clouds start to cover all the stars in the sky as it starts to thunder and lightning.  
Bowser then orders his minions, "Seize the Princess!"  
Following his orders, a troupe of Hammer Bros and Paratroopas surround the castle and bring her on Bowser's airship.  
All of the team is then behind me, ready to support each other.  
"Well well well, if it isn't Mario and Friends here to save the day!" Bowser taunts. "Too bad yer too late! Princess Peach is MINE now! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!"  
Bowser, you're not getting away with it this time! I'm not gonna let you!  
Just as Bowser retreats, a group of Lumas appear, along with Young Master Luma.  
"Mario! We heard Bowser kidnapped the Princess again, so we came for help!" Young Master Luma says.  
"Yeh're a little too late, he just left!" Daisy informs.  
"Never to worry, we'll get you up in the universe!" Another Luma says. The Luma then transforms into a Launch Star. Young Master Luma enters me, as other Lumas enter the rest of the team, to give us our Spin Attack in order to be able to use the Launch Star.  
I enter the Launch Star and spin and - BOOM!!!!! Such a fun flight!  
"Yahoo!"  
Sonic's POV

Ah, what a nice night in Soleanna tonight! This is gonna be great! Just a hedgehog who loves to party!  
Look! There's Blaze and Silver! It looks like they were invited too!  
"Blaze! Silver!" I call out.  
"Hi Sonic! What's up?" Silver asks.  
"Nothin' much," I answer. "As soon as we came back to this time, we got an invitation to come here, so we haven't really done anything else."  
"Really? Same for us!" Silver replies.  
"Rouge and Shadow are here too," Blaze informs. "We saw them earlier, they should be that way."  
"Oh come on, why does Rouge have to be here?!" Knuckles groans.  
"Knuckles, stop it!" Amy demands, bonking Knuckles with her hammer. "They're our friends!"  
For once I agree with something Amy says...  
"Well, it was good to see you two!" I say to Silver and Blaze. "Have fun the rest of the night!"  
"You too, Sonic!" Silver says.  
Now where did Blaze say Shadow and Rouge were? Aha!  
"Hey Shadow! Rouge! What's up?" I ask.  
"Well hi there, Sonic, Tails, Amy!" Rouge greets. "Good to see you again!"  
"A-HEM?!" Knuckles clears his throat.  
"Oh, I couldn't forget Echidna Man here!" Rouge taunts.  
"You better not forget me, Bat Girl!" Knuckles says defensively.  
"Rouge! Knuckles! Stop fighting!" Amy shouts. "This festival is all about having fun!"  
A little girl's voice then calls, "Mister Sonic!"  
"Hey Cream! Cheese!" I reply. "You were invited too?" Cream doesn't know Elise...  
"Yes!" the rabbit answers. "But my invitation just said 'Friend of Sonic,' and I don't really know who this Princess Elise is..."  
Amy replies, "She's awesome, Cream! You're gonna love her!"  
Cream and Amy laugh with each other as Cheese chants.  
"Hey Sonic!" I hear a rocker voice call.  
"Vector! Espio! Charmy! You guys were invited too?" I ask.  
"Yeah, we were!" Vector answers.  
"But our invitation just said "Dear Friends of Sonic," says Charmy.  
"We weren't sure if it was a fraud or not, so came here to make sure," Espio informs.  
"Well, Elise is no fraud!" I affirm. "I've been on an adventure with her before, and she's pretty awesome!"  
Charmy gasps in excitement. "I wanna meet the princess! I wanna meet her! I wanna meet her!"  
"Calm yourself, Charmy," Espio says to his teammate.  
"The princess will be out here any minute now!" Vector says.  
"Well hey, there she is now!" I point out.  
I see a large boat, and aboard it are dancers. Then there's Princess Elise in the front, waving to the crowd!  
Elise then walks towards a statue and is handed a torch. She then stares at the torch for awhile and does nothing. I wonder what she's thinking?  
"Miss Elise?" Her lady-in-waiting gets her attention.  
Elise then answers, "It... It's alright."  
Elise holds up the torch and recites, "We give thanks for these blessed flames one again. May we always continue to live in peace and harmony. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light!"  
It still makes no sense to me whatsoever how Solaris still exists... There wouldn't even be a Sun Festival in the first place!  
But nevertheless, Elise lights a flame with the torch, igniting a frame surrounding a pedestal. The crowd cheers as fireworks explode. We cheer as well. "Go Elise!"  
Suddenly, missiles attack the city. We all can guess who this is...  
The Egg Carrier then appears and releases Badniks around the city. Dr. Eggman then appears in his Egg Mobile before the princess, surrounded by Egg Gunners.  
"Okay, guys, let's destroy these Badniks!" I say. "Let's all scatter across the city. I'll help the princess!"  
"The only reason I came here for," Knucles says. "Let's go!"  
The team chants in agreement and splits up.  
"A pleasure to see you again, Princess," Eggman says. "I, Dr. Eggman, am back in attempt to obtain the power of the Flames of Disaster from you once again! And to take the miracle gems that are the key to its power - the Chaos Emerald!"  
Elise clutches her Chaos Emerald near her chest. "I won't let you do this again, Dr. Eggman!"  
"Don't argue with me, Princess," Eggman demands. "I am willing to use your power in order to build my empire in the center of the universe, and this time, with the help of King Bowser, we will be unstoppable! Now, if you would step this way, please."  
"Not so fast, Egghead!" I announce as I circle the area and destroy the Egg Gunners. "Wouldn't it be nicer to at least ask before crashing a party?"  
"Sonic! I knew you would make it!" Princess Elise acknowledges.  
"Hey Elise! Long time no see!" I say.  
"Sonic! Not you again!!!!!" Eggman complains.  
"Well, what'd ya expect, Egghead? Your toys always need someone to play with!" I taunt.  
"That's Dr. Eggman to you, you pest!" Eggman insults. More Badniks are released from the Egg Carrier as Eggman commands, "ATTACK!!!!!"  
"Well thanks Eggman, this just got a whole lot more fun!" I claim as I use my Homing Attack to destroy all the Badniks.  
"Not before I steal the Princess!" Eggman threatens as the arms on his Egg Mobile reach out to grab Elise. Huh, he really thinks he can steal her again, can't he?  
"Not today, Eggman!" I hear Amy scream as she - Wait, what is she doing? - Amy intervenes, causing Eggman to capture her instead of Elise.  
Elise shouts, "Amy! You didn't have to do that!"  
"You're more important, Elise!" Amy admits.  
As I land back where Elise is, I affirm, "Don't worry, Amy, I'll rescue you!"  
"I know you will, Sonic!" Amy replies. "But until then, keep Elise safe!"  
"Hm, you got away with it this time, Sonic!" Eggman admits. "I'll keep Amy safe for you, and then I'll give her back to you as soon as you give me the Princess. Otherwise, it's death to Amy!"  
Eggman flies up to the Egg Carrier, followed by his Badniks, and retreats.  
Wow, that was really brave of Amy to sacrifice herself like that...  
The rest of the team then joins us.  
"Princess Elise! Are you okay?" Silver asks.  
"I'm okay, Silver, thank you," she answers.  
"But the Doctor got away!" Rouge states.  
"We can see that he got away!" Knuckles sneers.  
"Dr. Eggman mentioned building an empire in the center of the universe along with Bowser," Vector points out.  
"Affirmative, we need to find a way to get to outer space," Espio suggests.  
"Well, Shadow can use his Chaos Control," Blaze suggests.  
Rouge interrupts, "Oh please, don't put poor Shadow under pressure, he's been through a lot already!"  
"No, Rouge, it's fine, I'll do it," Shadow affirms.  
"Hey Elise, could you hand me your Chaos Emerald?" I ask.  
"Gladly, Sonic!" She answers and does so.  
"Ready, Shadow?" I ask.  
Shadow nods.  
We both hold our Chaos Emeralds up and shout "CHAOS CONTROL!!!!!"  
Bowser Jr.'s POV

I don't know... I don't know what I'm doing anymore... I don't know how I feel about anyone or anything...  
I don't know who I am anymore.  
I arrive to the galactic empire along with Papa's airship fleet.  
"Prince Bowser Jr., is anything wrong?" A Hammer Bro on my ship asks as we park.  
"No, I'm fine," I lie.  
"Is there anything we can do for you? We are your crew and want to make sure you're okay."  
"No really, I'm fine. I'm getting off for now, so just take over the ship for me, okay?"  
"Yes sir!"  
I really need some alone time right now. I can't stop thinking about everything that just happened. All the chaos I caused in my family about Papa. Was it really worth it? Or was it better to just not say anything?  
I don't know... But whether it was right or not, I can't stay with Papa. I'm just not feeling it anymore. I really need to just get out of here and rethink my whole life.  
Wow, I really like my room! My room at the other base was cramped and uncomfortable, but this room actually looks pretty awesome!  
Too bad I'm leaving it soon...  
• • • • •  
Later that night, hours past my bedtime, I peek out my door. No one to my right, no one to my left... Okay, the coast is clear.  
That's right. I'm running away from this place.  
"Bleep boop bop! (Bowser Jr.!)"  
Oh no, how am I gonna tell my best friend this...  
"Metal Sonic! What are you doing?!"  
"Beep ba-doop beep bop, boop bop BEEP?! (I should ask you the same thing, what are YOU doing?!)"  
"SHHHH!!!!! Keep it down! I'm... I'm running away."  
"BOOP?! Beep ba-deep boop ba-doop? (WHAT?! But why, Junior?)"  
"Shut up, Metal Sonic!" Robots don't know how to whisper, do they?  
"Beeep... (Sorry...)" Metal Sonic rolls his eyes in apology. "Beep ba-deep boop ba-doop? Boop beep boop bop bleep? (But why, Junior? Why are you running away?)"  
"I just don't feel like I belong here any more," I admit. "At least not with Papa. All my life he's been telling me who I am, but I really need to find out who I truly am myself, and I won't be able to do that if I stay here."  
"Bleep bop boop beep ba-deep! (Well if that's your reason, then I'm coming with you!)" Metal Sonic offers.  
"No, Metal Sonic... I appreciate it, I really do, but you really shouldn't come with me. You're my best friend, you always have been and always will be, but I have to do this on my own. I'm really sorry."  
"Beep boop beep, (Okay, I understand.)"  
"Thank you for understanding." This is why you're my best friend.  
Metal Sonic and I give a big hug.  
"I wont forget you, I promise. Besides, Dr. Eggman needs you!"  
"Bleep bleep, boop! (Good luck, Junior!)"  
And so my journey to find myself begins...  
Tails' POV

Wow, outer space again! But somehow I don't feel as excited as I normally should be...  
"Hey hey, this planet's cool!" Sonic says. "It's got nice grass and everything! Not too hot, not too cold, just the right temperature!"  
"I love the cool breeze!" Cream says.  
Wait a minute... What is that red thing falling from the sky? It's getting closer and closer...  
"Is that... Mario?"  
All the team turns around and notices Mario flying towards us.  
As Mario is worried about running into us, he panics, "IYIYIYIYIYIYIYI!!!"  
We all talk amongst ourselves and move out of the way. Mario lands perfectly.  
"Mario! Looks like you made it back to this time safely!" Sonic states.  
Mario nods and says, "You too, Sonic!"  
"Where's the rest of your team?" Vector asks.  
Mario shrugs. "I dunno."  
"MARIO!!!!!!!" Luigi screams as he starts flying near us.  
Mario turns around and screams, "LUIGI!!!!!!!"  
As he lands, Luigi knocks Mario down.  
"Well Luigi, looks like you made it too!" Knuckles acknowledges.  
The rest of Team Mario arrives - Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Wario, Waluigi, Starlow, and Dreambert.  
"Where's Princess Peach?" I notice.  
"She got kidnapped by Bowser!" Daisy answers.  
"We don't have Amy either," Blaze informs Team Mario, "she got kidnapped by Eggman!"  
"She did that in order to save Elise," Sonic says, "but... Where IS Elise? She was just with us a second ago!"  
"Uh, Sonic, who's Elise?" Luigi asks.  
"Just a friend of mine," Sonic answers. "Besides, I think she's somewhere safe, and we'll find her eventually!"  
I can't do this anymore. I can't. I have to tell Sonic.  
"Um, Sonic, can I have a word with you?"  
"Yeah, Tails, what is it?"  
Sonic and I walk away from the team.  
"I've been thinking a lot, lately, and..."  
"And what?"  
Oh gosh. This is just so hard. "And... I really need some time to myself. I need to rethink everything and get myself together."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"I didn't mean to make everything look like it was your fault, I really didn't, because it's not your fault at all, but... I mean, you've been like my brother ever since we met, and you've given me so much confidence, but..." How can I tell him this?  
"But what, Tails? You can tell me."  
"I... I need to take a break from adventuring with you. I don't know what I'm doing anymore, and, as I said, I need to get myself back together. And I don't think I can do that if I keep hanging out with you and the rest of the team."  
There. I said it. I told him.  
"Aw Tails! I'm so sorry!" Sonic says.  
"It's not your fault, Sonic!" Okay, now I'm kinda starting to feel bad...  
Sonic then gives me a hug. This time, I hug him back.  
"I'm gonna miss you, Tails. You're my best friend. We're all gonna miss you," Sonic affirms. "We don't know where we'd be without that big brain of yours!"  
"You can do it without me, I know you can!" I encourage. "You're Sonic the Hedgehog, and you have the best team you could ask for!"  
"If you say so!" Sonic does his signature finger wag. "Remember, you can always come back when you need to!"  
"Don't worry! When I'm ready to come back, I will!" I affirm. I hope to not leave Sonic forever.  
"Goodbye, Sonic!"  
"Don't say 'goodbye'! Just say 'see you later'!" Sonic smirks.  
"Right, see you later, Sonic!" I'm really gonna miss you...  
"See you later, Tails!"  
Shadow's POV

Maria... Why can't you understand anymore... Why can't you understand how much I need you... I'm not the same as I was anymore... I no longer feel like the Ultimate Life Form...  
"Shadow, are you okay?" Rouge interrupts my thoughts.  
"I'm fine, Rouge," I lie.  
"Shadow, I've been with you through a lot, and knowing you, you're definitely not okay," Rouge says, "so what's the matter?"  
Dammit, Rouge, I don't wanna talk about it...  
"I'm sure Maria still loves you," she assures. "I don't even know what that other Maria was."  
"Never mind Maria," I say, trying to end the subject. I walk with Rouge away from the team.  
"Rouge, I need to ask you something."  
"Anything for you, Shadow."  
"Do you know anything about my sister? Because I can't remember anything about her."  
"Why Shadow, I didn't even know you had a sister!" she answers. "She must've been erased from your memories and you may not have recovered her memory yet. If that's not the case, then I don't know!"  
"Okay, I was just wondering." I kinda figured Rouge had never heard of her, but it never hurts to ask your best friend.  
I then wander off and shout, "Chaos Control!"  
I travel to Bowser and Eggman's base in the center of the universe. I need to talk to Bowser.  
I run throughout the base, avoiding any obstacles, until I reach Bowser's room.  
"Bowser, are you there?"  
As soon as the Koopa King sees me, he freaks out, "WHA - SHADOW!!!!!!! WHAT'RE YEH-"  
"Calm down! I come in peace!" I affirm. "I came to talk to you and to you only. Not even the Doctor knows I'm here."  
With a sigh of relief, Bowser demands, "Whaddayeh want, Shadow?"  
"Listen, Bowser, I know what we all just went through was rough, especially with Maria for me and Clawdia for you."  
"If yeh came 'ere jus' teh talk to meh, yeh've come at the wrong time," Bowser growls. "Besides, we agreed that once we got back to our time, we would be enemies again."  
"That's what I wanna talk to you about. If we're gonna get through the battles we're fighting within ourselves, we have to stay together."  
"Sorry, Shadow, I'm not interested," Bowser responds, trying to ignore me.  
Grrr, I knew it wouldn't be easy, but Bowser can really irritate me...  
"Listen, Bowser, you really need help as much as I do. I'm not promising whenever we arrive that I'm not gonna destroy your empire. I could destroy it right now if I really wanted to - in fact, I could easily bring the whole team right now with my Chaos Control, but be glad that I'm not going to."  
"Get to the point, Shadow," Bowser growls.  
"My point is, we need to stay in touch. As I told you before, you're not alone. We're fighting the same battle, and we're in this together. We need to stay up-to-date about anything about Bowsay and Pumpkin."  
"So yeh're saying we're still gonna be enemies in general, but we're gonna work together?"  
"Naturally. I normally use this watch of mine to communicate with G. U. N. N., and so I'll use it to communicate with you. Is there any communication device of yours that I can sync it with?"  
"Yeah, I 'ave this computer o' mine."  
I sync my watch with Bowser's computer. Sync complete!  
"Thank you, Bowser," I say. "Don't tell anyone about this, not even the Doctor."  
"Don't worry, I won't," Bowser replies. "Thank you, Shadow, fer understanding."  
I think this is gonna work. No, I'm not completely allying with Bowser, but I feel like this is just what we both need.  
"Chaos Control!"  
I'm back right where I started. Rouge hasn't moved a single inch.  
"What was that, Shadow?" Rouge questions. "You just used your Chaos Control and stood there, but nothing happened!"  
"Don't worry about it, Rouge." She can't know anything about what Bowser and I are doing. No one can know, or else they'll think I'm betraying them and switching sides or something.  
"Shadow, really, what's wrong?" Rouge asks again.  
"Nothing, Rouge, everything's fine. Let's just get going." Rouge and I walk back to join the rest of the team.  
Black Doom, Mephiles, next time one of you tries to tell me any different, I'll be ready.  
Back with Bowsay and Pumpkin...

"Pumpkin! Pumpkin!" Bowsay calls. I need to tell her everything that just happened!  
"Bowsay! Is everything okay?" Pumpkin asks.  
"Yes, I'm fine, but I need to talk to you."  
"What is it?"  
"So earlier today when I was training with Fawful, a magic jester thing appeared out of nowhere. His name was Dimentio. He looked so deceiving at first, he even told me that I wasn't Bowser's daughter, but he knows who my real creator is. But he also told me about how his goal is to create a universe in his image where everything is perfect and there is no evil!"  
"A universe where everything is perfect and there is no evil?" Pumpkin asks surprisingly.  
"Yes! And he told me that if I bring him the eight Pure Hearts, then he will be able to do it, and he'll be able to tell me everything about who I truly am!"  
"Wait, Bowsay, didn't Fawful tell you all of that already?"  
"Well, kinda... He didn't tell me all of the truth. Dimentio told me that my Mama is still dead, but Papa didn't kill her. He said he saw my Mama's death himself!"  
"Oh my, Bowsay, I don't know what to say...!"  
That's okay, Pumpkin, you might not understand EVERYTHING... Bowsay thought.  
"Comparing what Dimentio wanted to what Fawful wanted, Fawful only wanted me to himself. He just wanted everyone to listen to me since no one listens to him. He was hoping for access to my power. So I don't work for him anymore. Dimentio actually seems like he knows something, and so I trust him more."  
"That's funny, because almost the same thing happened to me earlier today!" exclaims Pumpkin. That's a coincidence that Bowsay just told almost the same story with different characters! The red-orange fox thought.  
"What happened to you, Pumpkin?" Bowsay asks.  
"While I was training with Mephiles, this floating, horned, three-eyed creature named Black Doom intervened. He said he was the original creator of Shadow the Hedgehog, which I remember Shadow mentioning that to me before. Originally, Mephiles told me that Shadow was the evil part of Solaris, but then I realized that that evil part of Solaris was none other than Mephiles himself! He was only trying to use my power so he could join with Iblis in the end. Black Doom, however, knew things about me that Mephiles didn't. Apparently I can do Chaos Control and Chaos Blast, which are both Shadow's moves. Black a Doom then told me that if I bring him the seven Chaos Emeralds, he will tell me the secrets of my past, and a secret about Tails."  
"A secret about Tails?" Bowsay wonders.  
"Yeah, he said I had a brother, and I was like, 'I know I have a brother! Tails is my brother!' And he said he knew a secret about him," Pumpkin answers.  
"That's very interesting," Bowsay admits. "So Pumpkin..."  
"What, Bowsay?"  
"I'm going to help Dimentio build this perfect universe, and I want you to help us."  
"How are we gonna do that?" Pumpkin questions. It's not like SNAP the world is perfect...  
"We need to build an empire in the center of the universe."  
"But the Doctor and Bowser are doing that right now!"  
"Or so they'll think they are," Bowsay replies. "But with your Chaos Control, we can travel back in time to when they were going to start building their empire, and I can manipulate Papa's system to make them think they're in the center, but they're really not."  
"Sounds like a plan, Bowsay," Pumpkin agrees. "This might sound crazy, but it could be the only answer to our problems."  
"Right you are." Bowsay then asks of the Bat King, "Antasma, are willing to assist us?"  
"Anything you vish, Bowsay!" he responds.  
"Chaos! Are you ready?" Pumpkin demands.  
I feel it is ready, Pumpkin thought, sensing the creature's thoughts through her Chaos Control.  
"Are you ready, Bowsay?" Pumpkin asks her best friend.  
"Ready as I'll ever be," the ex-Koopa Princess answers. "And you, Pumpkin?"  
Pumpkin nods.  
Pumpkin and Bowsay hold hands as Pumpkin holds up her Chaos Emerald and shouts "CHAOS CONTROL!"


	43. Welcome to the Galaxy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part III  
> While the teams get crazy on their adventures together, they go back to their normal routine as soon as they return to their own time. However, as the adventure continues, the secrets continue to reveal, and darkness all around them only creeps up closer and closer...
> 
> Get ready, get excited, and buckle up for Part III!  
> ~SonicLover24601

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---------------------------------------  
>  Edit 11/29/15 - I originally had Team Mario stay at the Comet Observatory while Team Sonic stayed on Starship Mario, but I took out Starship Mario (don't freak out, it will appear two chapters later). So both Team Mario and Team Sonic will be staying at the Comet Observatory for much of the remaining of their adventure!  
>  \--------------------------------------  
>  Hi guys! This chapter is a LOT shorter than usual, but it's the first chapter of Part III! WHOOP WHOOP!!!!! How do you guys feel about everything? I'm pretty excited! I hope you guys are too!  
>  In case if anyone was thinking "why wasn't there a boss after the first Power Star?" Well, if this fanfic was a video game, then the Cosmic Guide would've been the boss since Team Sonic mistakes her for a dark form of someone else (just like Dark Peach or Dark Amy).  
>  Speaking of Peach and Amy, just because they're kidnapped, doesn't mean they're not gonna have any chapters! In fact, their chapter is coming up next!  
>  Just so y'all know, I'm not writing a chapter for every single Power Star collected/Animals freed because it's gonna take forever. (60-80 useless chapters? Come on now.) I know y'all would get bored with it and just be like, "Okay, just get on with the plot!" (Trust me, I'd be ready to get the plot going too.) So for Team Mario and Sonic, I'm only writing about the big boss battles in between with Bowser and Eggman when they get a Grand Star/Chaos Emerald.  
>  Now I would like to take suggestions from y'all - how would you envision your own final level for Bowser/Eggman? (I have the boss battle planned already, I just need the LEVEL itself.) Like what obstacles and enemies would be there and how would you defeat them? Please comment or DM me your ideas if you have any!  
>  QOTD: Rosalina/Comet Observatory or Lubba/Starship Mario?  
>  My AOTD: I DEFINITELY like Rosalina a lot better, she's fantastic. I like Starship Mario better because, I mean, come on, IT'S SHAPED LIKE MARIO, how cool is that???!!! I also like how Starship Mario does the traditional Worlds like in any other Super Mario game.  
>  Comment your AOTD below! If you like this chapter, then don't forget to vote! And don't forget to follow me on Twitter @MarioSonic24601 ! I love you all so much!  
>  ~SonicLover2460

Young Master Luma flies out of my hat and informs, "Mario! I sense there's a Power Star in this galaxy!"  
Really? A Power Star? Here? No way!  
"So Mario, you're familiar with this galaxy stuff, huh?" Sonic smirks. "It's all pretty cool!"  
I nod.  
"Um guys..." Starlow mutters, then she wails, "where's Yacker?"  
Wait, who's Yacker again?  
"Oh gee, I didn't realize he wasn't here either!" Sonic points out.  
"Yoshi, yoshi... Yoshi yoshi? (Um, Sonic... Where's Tails?)" Yoshi asks.  
Sonic looks down and shakes his head. "He'll be leaving us for awhile."  
The entire team gasps. "But we need him!" "None of us are as smart as him!" "Why would he do that?" I do agree, Tails was a genius!  
"Relax, guys!" Sonic interrupts. "Tails just really needs space on his own right now. He'll come back when he's ready.  
Mama Mia, I sure hope he does...  
Sonic changes the subject. "Anyways, about Yacker, he's a space alien. If he's in outer space right now, then we have a chance of finding him!"  
"Oh good, that makes me feel better!" Starlow says with a sigh of relief. "Let's go get that Power Star!"  
As we travel through this galaxy, the adventure fills me again. The Spin Attack comes back to me, I collect Star Bits again, and the Launch Star is back! It's great to be here again!  
"Yoshi yoshi! (There's the Power Star!)" Yoshi exclaims. Yahoo, there it is!  
"Looks like there are some captured animals too," Sonic points out. "It only could've been Eggman!"  
"Oh my stars! Yacker's in there with them!" Starlow cries. "Don't worry Yacker, we'll get you out soon!"  
Oh yeah, Yacker is that white alien with one eye that Starlow is best friends with.  
As we approach the Power Star and the captivated creatures, a starry night form of Rosalina appears before us. A Cosmic Guide!  
"Well done, brave ones," it says, "you all have made it this far."  
"Who are you?!" Sonic demands.  
"Are you a dark form of someone else?!" Knuckles shouts.  
"Are you with Bowsay and Pumpkin?!" Silver growls.  
"I am no dark form of anyone, but I am a Cosmic Guide."  
Before causing any more chaos, I intervene in defense.  
"Hello Mario," says the Cosmic Guide. "We knew you would return one day."  
I turn around, smile and nod. Wow, they really have been waiting for me!  
"Collect the Power Star and free the animals," the Cosmic Guide commands, "and you will be taken to the Comet Observatory."  
The Comet Observatory! That's Rosalina's ship! It's been ages since I've been on there!  
As I obtain the Power Star and Sonic frees the creatures, the Power Star takes us to the Comet Observatory, just as the Cosmic Guide said. It feels so good to be back here!  
"We've awaited your return, Mario."  
I look up to see a tall, fair-skinned, elegant woman in a turquoise dress with her long, light-blonde hair covering one eye. Rosalina!  
Young Master Luma flies out of my hat. "Mama! Mama!"  
"Hello, my little child!" Rosalina greets. "You've done well bringing Mario here."  
"Who are you?" Knuckles asks.  
"My name is Rosalina. I am the Mother of the Lumas and the Protector of the Cosmos."  
"Well I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic says with a wink and a thumbs up.  
"You must be Mario's rival in the Olympics. I see you two and your friends compete against each other every year," Rosalina says.  
Charmy Bee gasps. "Wha- you can see us?!"  
"Charmy, she's the protector of the universe," Cream the Rabbit reminds him. "Of course she can see us!"  
"Then you must know where all the gems in the world are, hm?" Rouge smirks.  
"Be careful not to let greed take over you," Rosalina advises the bat. She then turns to Sonic and asks, "Now Sonic, I believe I have a friend of yours on this ship who was just wondering where you were."  
"Sonic!" Another lady calls out. She wears a short white dress with feathers in her short brown hair.  
"Elise! You're okay!" Sonic says as he and Elise hug.  
"Oh Sonic, I knew you would find me!" Elise looks around and sees me and all my other friends. "Sonic, who are your other friends here?"  
"Oh, this is Mario!" Sonic answers. "He's my rival in the Olympics every two years, and right now he's my partner on this adventure. He's a pretty cool guy, if I'm honest with you!"  
Aw Sonic, you're pretty cool too!  
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mario!" Elise greets. "I'm Princess Elise of Soleanna, and I'm also a friend of Sonic's!"  
Well, Elise seems like a nice princess!  
"Um... Mario, do you talk?" Elise asks.  
"Yes," I answer  
"Oh, okay, you just seemed really quiet there and it kinda scared me!"  
"He definitely talks, just not a lot," the blue hedgehog informs the princess. "But it's just the way he is. As I said before, Mario's a pretty cool guy!"  
I nod and give a "Yahoo!"  
"I see that both of you have had Special Ones taken from you," Rosalina explains. "The evil monster has once again built an empire, but this time it is not in the center of the universe."  
"Not in the center of the universe?!" Luigi gasps, and I agree - how could Bowser's empire NOT be in the center of the universe?!  
"Yoshi yoshi yoshi! (Bowser said it was in the center of the universe!)" exclaims Yoshi.  
"He did say that indeed," Rosalina states, "but whether it was his loss of sense of direction or the evil scientist helping him, I know not."  
"Dr. Eggman?!" Knuckles says in confusion.  
"My, that Doctor never gets anything wrong about science!" Rouge remarks.  
"But I sense a greater, darker evil present in the true location of the center of the universe," Rosalina informs and then turns her back to face the outside, "greater than even the monster and the scientist..."  
What? What could she be talking about? What greater evil is out there? Could it maybe have something to do with whoever's behind Bowsay and Pumpkin?  
I look over and notice Sonic at the edge of the observatory, staring out into space. I come up behind him and ask, "What-a are you looking at-a?"  
"Just look at Earth... Eggman broke it apart again..."  
Mama Mia, it looks dreadful... It breaks my heart to see my home planet in such a condition...  
Sonic continues, "Who knows if he awakened Dark Gaia at the right time or not. But nevertheless..." He looks down at a bracelet he is wearing, "I know Chip is gonna stop him!"  
"Huh?" Who's Dark Gaia? Who's Chip? What is Sonic talking about? Did he talk about them when we were at the Gaia Temple earlier? I guess he did, but I don't remember...  
"Don't worry about it Mario, we can take care of it!" Sonic assures with a thumbs up. I nod in agreement.  
"The monster has robbed us of our Power Stars again," Rosalina informs the team. "Mario, it is up to you and the rest of your team to retrieve them all so we have enough power to travel to the Galactic Empire. Sonic, whatever you know about this evil scientist, you and your team do anything to defeat him."  
We all chant at Rosalina's motivation.  
Let's go get all the Power Stars!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario


	44. Dr. Eggman's Diary

UUUUUUGH I HATE IT HERE!!!!!!! Eggman and Bowser's place is the worst! It smells horrible and it's so cramped! I'm so ready to get out of here!  
"Amy, calm down," Princess Peach says to me.  
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, PEACH! I'm ready to get out of here!" I growl. "Aren't you???"  
"Maybe not right now," Peach answers. "After everything that just happened with Bowsay and Pumpkin, I need to take a breather."  
"But Peach! Bowser is gonna take you as his wife, and Eggman is gonna KILL ME!!!!!!!!"  
"Oh, I'd rather be kidnapped by Bowser than by Fawful," Peach admits. She looks out the window. "And besides, Mario will save me, he always does!"  
Oh, girl, don't get me started...  
"LISTEN UP, PEACH! YOU NEED TO TOUGHEN UP AND BE A WOMAN!"  
Peach stares at me in shock. That's right, that's how you should feel.  
"But Amy, I-"  
"You need to stop relying on Mario to save you. We know what other evil is around us now, and we don't know if even Mario and Sonic can stop it. We need to be strong and fight for ourselves."  
"I see what you mean, Amy," Peach says, "but how are we going to get out of here?"  
"Urgh, I don't know... SOMEHOW!!!!" There has to be a way to get out of here, I just know it!  
"Princess Peach! Amy Rose!" Peach and I find a crimson Luma and a silver Wisp outside our window.  
"My name is Cassie," the Luma introduces herself, "and this is Sassy!"  
Sassy, the silver wisp, flies in circles around Cassie as Cassie laughs.  
"What are you doing here?" I ask.  
"We're here to help you escape!" Cassie answers as Sassy yaps in agreement.  
"Do you know this place at all?" Peach asks.  
"Oh yes, we know every corner of this place!" Cassie answers. "In fact, Sassy and I know this place better than Bowser and Eggman do!"  
Wow, they must really know this place well enough to not get caught...  
"Follow us!" Cassie and Sassy fly into the cellar. "We know a secret passage out of here!"  
Sassy removes a brick from the wall, causing all the bricks to rearrange to create a passage.  
"Wow, I'm surprised Eggman and Bowser built this passage here," I say. They would never want their prisoners to escape like that.  
"They didn't build it," Cassie informs. She and Sassy hi-five. "We did!"  
"Aw Cassie, that was very sweet of you! Thank you very much!" Peach says with gratitude.  
Sassy then grows angry and starts tugging at Peach's long golden hair.  
"AAAAHHH AAAHHHH AAAHHH!!!!!! Thank you too, Sassy!"  
Sassy lets go and flies back next to Cassie.  
"Don't mind Sassy, she likes to be mischievous!" Cassie informs.  
I kinda figured as much by her name...  
"Well, let's get going!" I shout.  
Wow, this is so beautiful... Who knew such a secret passage could be created by a Luma and a Wisp!  
"Amy, look!" Peach points out.  
Oh my word... Eggman's room!  
Oh look, Sassy seems to be trying to tell us something! But I don't speak Wisp-ish...  
"Everyone touch Sassy and stay as quiet as you can!" Cassie commands.  
Okay, if Cassie says so...  
"WOAH!!!!!!! I'M INVISIBLE!!!!!!!!" So THIS is what the Silver Wisp's powers are like!  
"SH!!!! Amy! Cassie just told us to be quiet!" Peach interrupts. Well sor-ry, Peach, way to ruin the fun!  
"That's right," Cassie reassures. "Bowser and Eggman have no idea we're here, so we have to be as unnoticed as possible!"  
Is Eggman in his room? No? Good, let's sneak in.  
Sassy flies around and opens one of the drawers of Eggman's nightstand. She flies out holding a journal of his.  
"No way - OW, Peach, watch where you're stepping!"  
"I'm sorry, it's hard to KNOW where I'm stepping because I'm INVISIBLE!"  
Right...  
"Let's read Eggman's diary, shall we?" I offer, and everyone agrees.  
I open the journal up to a random page and start reading.  
Day 71 towards Eggmanland  
HOHOHO! The Master Plan is going great! I have captured all the Wisps I need, I have finally reawakened Dark Gaia, and I have the invention to steal Iblis! Once I have the Chaos Emeralds, nothing is gonna stop me now, not even that mole rat Sonic can match my power! Everything is going exactly as I planned, especially since I have Bowser's help! HOHOHO!!!!!  
You say that every time, Eggman, but it never works...  
Speaking of Bowser, though, he seems like he hasn't been himself lately... He's probably just upset about his children and all, especially since Bowsay turned evil and the Koopalings won't talk to him and Bowser Jr. ran away.  
"Bowser Jr. ran away?" Peach says surprisingly. "Poor kid, he used to be so loyal to his father!"  
I continue reading:  
Eh, no big deal! It's just a Daddy issue! They happen all the time! I never would've thought Bowser would have children issues because they're always so loyal to him, but no biggie! Again, just a Daddy issue, they happen all the time, and they'll go away soon! Bowser will figure it out eventually!  
Eggman, you've never been a father before, you don't know how Bowser feels! Stop being such a jerk about it!  
Another one who has not been himself lately is Metal Sonic. Again, I believe this was after Bowser Jr. ran away. I created Metal Sonic as an evil machine to kill Sonic, but when he's around Bowser Jr., I see sides of him that I never thought I would ever see... He seems more loyal and friendly (and really crazy) around Bowser Jr. I solemnly swear I never programmed him to be like this. But now that Bowser Jr.'s gone, he's really not himself anymore. He won't talk to anyone, not even his own creator! I have a feeling he might be secretly plotting to take over the world, but he definitely doesn't show it on the outside. I thought I knew everything about Metal Sonic since I created him, but I guess not even creators can fully understand their own robots.  
I do agree with Eggman there, Metal Sonic is completely nuts and not his normal self when he's with Bowser Jr., but I never knew how much Bowser Jr. really meant to Metal Sonic...  
Sassy then yaps at us in warning.  
"Oh no! Eggman's coming!" Cassie translates.  
Peach and I, still invisible, hide in a corner of Eggman's room.  
The door bursts open and Eggman walks in.  
"OHOHOHO!!!! Another great day of science today! Oh- what is my diary doing out here? ORBOT!!!!!!!! CUBOT!!!!!!!"  
Orbot and Cubot arrive as Orbot asks, "Yes, Doctor?"  
"Were you two trying to read my diary???!!!"  
"N-n-no, Doctor!" Orbot shudders.  
"Not just now- but we have before!" Cubot says in a cackly voice setting.  
"CUBOT!" Orbot slaps him. "What was that for???!!!"  
"Well I has to tell the truth!" Cubot admits.  
"AAARGH!!!!! YOU TWO GET OUT OF HERE!!!!"  
Without saying a word, Orbot and Cubot rush out of Engman's room.  
Wow, I can't believe Eggman actually fell for all of that!  
"Well, now I need to get my goodnight's rest so I can work on the Master Plan even more tomorrow! Oh I'm such a genius!"  
Ew, Eggman's changing clothes! I can't look!  
"HOHOHO! I look so great, I look like the greatest scientist ever! Oh wait - I AM the greatest scientist ever! I am even smarter than Bowser!" Eggman laughs even more. Oh I just HATE how Eggman is so fond of himself!  
"Oh, I forgot, I need to check on the prisoners!" Eggman rushes out his door.  
"Hurry, in here!" Cassie says as she and Sassy open the secret passage.  
Peach and I rush in as our invisibility slowly starts to fade.  
As soon as we make it back to our prison cell and close the passage, we make it before Eggman arrives in his PJs.  
"Well it looks like you two are still in great condition!" Eggman says with an evil grin. "Too bad Bowser isn't here to see this! HOHOHOHO!!!!!" Eggman leaves, still laughing like a psycho Santa Claus.  
"Whew, that was close," I say with a sigh of relief.  
"Well, now we know how to get out of here!" Peach informs.  
"Yes, we do," I assure, "but maybe now isn't the best time to do that."  
"What do you mean, Amy?" Peach questions.  
"We should use this secret passage as an advantage to find out more about what's happening with Bowser and Eggman," I suggest, "And who knows? Maybe we can find out more about Pumpkin and Bowsay!"  
"I see," Peach agrees. "I've read Bowser's diary before, so we should look at his diary next!"  
"Okay, Peach, we'll do that next time, but I'm really tired and I need some sleep now."  
"Okay, that's fair. Thank you again, Cassie and Sassy!"  
"No problem, Princess!" Cassie winks. "You and Amy have a lot to discover!"  
Sassy flies around in excitement.  
"Well, goodnight, Peach."  
"Goodnight, Amy."  
I'm actually feeling pretty good about all this. Peach and I learned a lot last time from Mephiles and Fawful, and now, with Cassie and Sassy's secret passage, we can learn a lot from Bowser and Eggman. Maybe we'll find out how to stop all this evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Amy


	45. Brothers Unite!

Bowser Jr.'s POV  
Well, now that I'm away from Papa... Where am I now? I don't know my way around this universe...  
It seems like I landed in the Good Egg Galaxy. Maybe I could talk to some people to ask my way around.  
"Hey! You! Luma!" I ask a red-orange Luma.  
As the Luma turns around, it screams, "AAAHHH! It's that evil monster's son-!"  
"No, no, stop!" I assure, "I'm not gonna hurt you!"  
"Why should I believe you?!" the Luma sneers. "Your father has done enough terrible things, and I know you have too! Get away from me before you cause any harm!"  
"PLEASE stop judging me by my father! I may be his son, but I'm not him!"  
"How do I know you're not just playing a trick? HUH?! What if you're just spying for him?!"  
"I'M NOT SPYING FOR HIM! I... I ran away from him."  
The red-orange Luma pauses for a moment. "You ran away from him?"  
"Yeah. He's been trying to tell me who I am my whole life, but I recently learned that I'm nothing he says I am."  
"What do you mean by that? What happened?"  
"It's nothing, I don't wanna talk about it..."  
"Okay, that's fine. Well what are you gonna do now that you ran away?" The Luma asks.  
"I'm gonna find out who I truly am," I answer.  
"How are you gonna do that all by yourself?"  
"I'm a big boy, I can handle this by myself," I assure, but then I admit, "except... I don't know my way around this universe, and I was wondering if you could help me."  
"Well, you got me for sure!" The Luma says as it twirls. "My name is Rusty, and I'll help you find your way through! ...at least through this galaxy!"  
"What do you mean 'at least through this galaxy'? Don't you Lumas know your way through this entire universe?" I mean, it's their native home, I assume they'd know everything about it...  
"NO NO NO!" Rusty rambles, "Just because we're native to the universe, doesn't mean we know every single thing about it inside out! I bet you don't even know your own kingdom inside out! Stop believing those stereotypes! Stop assuming things about us!"  
"Okay, okay!" Yeesh, calm down, bro...  
"I'm sorry, it's just that Lumas have so many stereotypes that aren't completely true, and I'm tired of them!"  
"Seriously? Like what else?" I'm curious about these...  
"There's a stereotype that we Lumas are all friendly and all love hugs," Rusty states, "but that's definitely not true, I've met some mean and stuck up Lumas, and I MYSELF do not like hugs from everyone! Only people I really, REALLY trust!"  
"Oh..." Wow, I really don't know anything about Lumas... "You're a lot like me then. You're even more like my sister..."  
"Oh really? What things do people assume about Wendy O. Koopa?"  
"No, I have another sister, a twin sister... Her name is Bowsay."  
"Oh I didn't know that! What's she like?" Rusty asks.  
"She's... she's really misunderstood, and recently she's..." I really don't think now's the time to talk about this...  
"What happened to her?"  
"Never mind, I don't wanna talk about it." I shake my head. I just can't take it anymore.  
I then hear someone call "Junior!" from behind me. Only my true friends call me "Junior," so it must be someone I really know.  
As I turn around, I see... Tails?  
Tails' POV  
Okay, now I'm starting to regret leaving Sonic, what am I doing with myself... No, Tails, you made the right choice, Sonic won't be any help right now... Yes he would, he would help with everything! But Pumpkin... What am I even thinking, I'm doing this for myself and for Pumpkin. Sonic will have to wait.  
Okay, where am I now? I flew away from that other galaxy Sonic and Mario were at, and this one definitely isn't the same one. It's more green and grass everywhere. Maybe I can ask people for my way around... Oh look, a wisp! This one is red-orange!  
"Hi there! I'm Tails, and I'm trying to find my way around! Where am I?"  
The wisp starts to jabber, so I take out my Miles Electric to translate.  
"I'm in a galaxy with... good legs?" Okay, that's just wrong...  
"Oh! I'm in a galaxy with good eggs!" Okay, that helps! Except I don't see a lot of eggs... Oh but look! There's a giant egg on that planet over there! I wonder what's in it! If only I could find a way to get to it...  
Wait a minute... Who is that over there? Is that... Bowser Junior?  
"Junior!" It is Junior! And he's over there with a red-orange Luma!  
"Tails! What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Then he asks aggressively, "You didn't bring Mario and Sonic here, did you???!!!"  
"No no! I come alone! Except with this Wisp - Sorry, I never got your name! What is it?"  
As the Wisp yaps, I read different results on my Miles Electric. "Musty, Crusty, Lusty..."  
"It's Dusty!" says a red-orange Luma. "Dusty here is my best friend. And I'm Rusty!"  
"Oh cool! My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails."  
"Okay, save the fluffy stuff for later," Junior interrupts. "We need to find a way out of here now!"  
"Dusty, Rusty, do you know how to get out of here?"  
Dusty squeals and nods, and Rusty answers, "Of course! There's a Power Star over there by that giant egg, and it will get us out of here!"  
Wow, a Power Star? I really gotta find a way to get to it now!  
Normal POV  
Dusty and Rusty lead Junior and Tails through the Good Egg Galaxy. Along the way, they defeat multiple Octoombas and Badniks. Junior uses Rusty's power for a Spin Attack, and Tails uses Dusty's powers for a Fire-Spin attack.  
This Fire-Spin attack is so similar to Pumpkin's, thought Tails.  
Eventually the four run into some Goombas, Koopas, and some Magikoopas. Oh great, Papa's people, Junior thought.  
"Prince Bowser Koopa Junior!" a Magikoopa notices. "Thank goodness you're here! Did Mario really capture you? Is he anywhere nearby?"  
"I am no longer Prince of the Koopa Troop," Junior says as he clenches his fist. "And you, Magikoopa, can no longer command me what to do!"  
Junior performs a Spin Attack with his paintbrush on the Magikoopa, knocking him off his broom and causing him to fall into a Black Hole.  
All of Bowser's other minions stare at Junior in shock.  
"That's right, Papa! Be afraid of me!" Junior attacks the rest of the surrounding minions and kills them.  
Oh no... Junior realizes, what have I done... I'm starting to become more like... her...  
"Is everything okay Junior?" Tails interrupts his thoughts. "You went a little crazy there!"  
Junior shakes his head and lies, "It's all good, Tails. Let's get that Power Star and get out of here!"  
"Look over there!" Rusty points out. "A Launch Star!"  
As the team runs near the Launch Star, Junior uses Rusty's Spin Attack to launch himself to the planet with the egg. Junior lands safely next to the egg.  
"How does it look?" Tails calls out.  
"It looks like it could hatch any moment now!" Junior answers. "We just have to wait."  
"Okay, Junior, I'm coming over!" Tails uses Dusty's Fire-Spin Attack to launch himself.  
But the Launch Star doesn't work.  
"It's not working! What do I do?" Tails asks.  
"Well, Tails," Rusty says, "it looks like the Launch Star doesn't support Wisp power, and you don't support Luma power, so I don't know any other way to get you up here."  
Meanwhile, Dusty starts to point out an Orange Wisp nearby.  
"An Orange Wisp... The Orange Rocket!" Tails realizes. "Hey you! Orange Wisp over there!"  
The Orange Wisp turns around and realizes Tails needs help.  
"Are you willing to lend me your Orange Rocket powers so I can get to that planet with the egg? My friend is up there!"  
The Orange Wisp nods and enters Tails. Tails then transforms into an Orange Rocket and blasts to the planet with the giant egg.  
But he accidentally lands on top of the egg, cracking it open.  
"Oops..." Tails mumbles. The creature reveals itself as a giant purple piranha-plant monster with a long tail with a ball at the end. "Junior, what is that?"  
"It's just a Dino Piranha!" Junior answers. "I know how to handle these."  
Junior approaches the creature, reaches out his claw, and says, "Hey there, Mr. Piranha, it's me, Junior! Who's a good boy?"  
As Junior pats its head, the Dino Piranha starts panting in happiness.  
However, it suddenly grows in anger and flings Junior backwards.  
"Looks like this thing doesn't wanna obey anyone..." Junior mutters under his breath. Then he shouts, "Tails! Stay by me! I know how to handle this!"  
Without saying a word, Tails and Dusty stay near Junior.  
As the Dino Piranha chases Junior, Junior runs behind its tail and uses a Spin Attack at the ball at the end of its tail, causing it to hit the creature in the head.  
"Nice hit, Junior!" Tails compliments.  
The monster then realizes Junior's method and works more cleverly to chase Junior. This doesn't fool Junior, though, as he repeats the action of using a Spin Attack on his tail.  
As the Dino Piranha is hit in the head a second time, its head turns from purple to red, and it starts to move even faster.  
"You got this, Junior!" Tails cheers on.  
Although the monster is moving faster, Junior is still able to hit its tail on its head one more time. The Dino Piranha gives off a piercing wail and explodes, revealing a hoard of captured animals and Wisps and a Power Star.  
"Wow, Eggman is still capturing creatures too!" Tails points out. "They must all be hidden where the Power Stars are hidden!"  
"Well, now that we have this Power Star, I wonder where it will take us," Junior wonders.  
Junior and Tails then start to float, and they follow where the Power Star goes.  
* * *  
A Magikoopa hides in the shadows and notices Junior and Tails. It then communicates through its wand to its boss, "I just spotted the two. They just left the Good Egg Galaxy. I suggest you send troops throughout the universe at once."  
* * *  
As Junior and Tails fly with the Power Star, they land at a spaceship in the shape of Mario's head.  
"Milk my duds, we did NOT just land on Starship Mario..." Junior complains.  
"Yup you did!" a deep hip voice calls from behind. Junior and Tails turn around to see a giant chubby purple Luma.  
"Lubba!" Rusty squeals.  
"Yo Rusty! What's up? I see you brought guests with you!"  
"Hi, um, Lubba, I'm Miles Prower!" Tails introduces himself, "But everyone calls me Tails! And this here is Dusty!"  
"Nice to meet you two, Tails and Dusty!" Lubba exclaims. "What about you there turtle guy? What's your name?"  
Junior slowly answers, "Bowser... Junior..."  
All the other Lumas on board gasp.  
"No! It's him!" "He's that monster's son!" "His father stole all our power!" "He's only here to spy for his father!"  
"STOP IT GUYS!" Rusty shouts in defense. "It's not what you think it is. He ran away from his father because -"  
"Thank you, Rusty, I'll take it from here," Junior interrupts. "Yes, I indeed ran away from my Papa. All my life he's been telling me what to do, who I am, who I'm going to be... For awhile I let him do this to me without realizing it. But now I realize I'm nothing he says I am. Only I determine who I am. And the only way to break free from him was to run away from him."  
All the other Lumas stay still in shock. They never would have guessed any of that about Junior. Lubba then says, "Well, Junior, we're glad you're okay, and you're welcome here!"  
"Thanks, Lubba. I appreciate it."  
A bunch of wisps then fly to the starship.  
"Oh! What are these things?" Lubba asks.  
"They're called Wisps!" Tails answers. "Each color has its own special power, and they can really come in handy! For example, Dusty here has the power to give me a Fire-Spin Attack! But a lot of the Wisps have been captured by Dr. Eggman..."  
"Dr. Eggman, hm?" Lubba asks, "Who might he be?"  
"He's just a mad evil scientist, and he's done a lot of terrible things in the past," Tails answers.  
"He's currently working with my father on a galactic empire in the center of the universe," Junior adds.  
"I see," Lubba says. "Now, for you, fox boy, Tails, who are you and what brings you here?"  
"Well, I'm from the planet Mobius, and I like to repair stuff with machines. I had to run away from my best friend, Sonic the Hedgehog. I had to get out on my own, rethink everything, and discover myself. I know you don't know everything that's been happening lately, and I don't really wanna talk about it, it's personal. Anyways, I talked to Sonic about this and he was fine with it. I promised him I wasn't gonna leave him forever, but I needed some time on my own. So I fled to another galaxy, which happened to be the same one Junior was on!"  
"Man, that's tough stuff," Lubba admits, "but don't worry, kid, you'll always have a place on this starship!"  
"Wow, Tails, at least Sonic was okay with it," Junior sneers.  
Okay, he did NOT need to say that, Tails thought, that was very rude of him...  
"Well why wouldn't YOUR FATHER be okay with YOU leaving, huh, Junior?!"  
Tails, you did NOT have to go that far... thought Junior.  
"PAPA ISN'T SONIC!!!!!!!!! You saw what happened when we were escaping from the future - Papa killed our mother and didn't tell any of us!"  
Oh man, I don't like it when Junior goes on fits, but he needs to learn... Tails thought.  
"Listen, Junior, your father loves you and wants what's best for you. He doesn't want you to be the monster he was. Take time to at least be thankful for that!"  
"What do YOU know about what fathers want, Tails???" Junior roars. "What is YOUR papa like???"  
"I LOST BOTH OF MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE FOX PUP!!!!!!!" Tails growls, unleashing all his anger.  
A pause occurs. Both Junior and Tails breathe deeply for a moment. Junior then says, "I don't think you ever told me this, Tails."  
"It was all a tragic accident. Pumpkin and I were learning to fly, and Pumpkin got a little too excited that her powers got out of control, and she accidentally struck our mother with fire..." Tails starts to choke up in tears. I can't talk about this, I just can't.  
"I see," Junior says. "And your father?"  
JUNIOR, you need to learn that when people start to choke up in crying, you shouldn't ask them any more about anything...  
"As soon as Pumpkin killed our mother, our father feared her power so much that he abandoned us, and we haven't seen him since... We don't know where he is or if he's even still alive!"  
"Oh..." Junior pauses, then says, "Well, I'm sorry I was rude, Tails. It's good to see you again, it really is."  
Junior and Tails hug.  
"It's good to see you again, too, Junior."  
"And it's good to see you two getting along!" Lubba interrupts. "By the way, thank you for bringing us this Power Star. It's just what we need to fuel Starship Mario!"  
"Thank you, Lubba," Tails says, "for giving us a place to stay."  
"And thank you for accepting me, despite where I come from," Junior adds.  
"Anytime!" Lubba says in appreciation. "I'm looking forward to a great adventure with all of you!"  
And so the brothers of the Two begin their journey to discover themselves and their sisters...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Bowser Jr./Tails


	46. Eggaleg

"Oh yes!" Another Power Star! Yahoo! Here, Luma, come out of my hat for a moment!  
"Man, that was fun!" Sonic says when he lands after freeing another pack of animals and Wisps.  
"Mario! Sonic!" Polari, an elderly, dark brown Luma and Rosalina's most trusted advisor, informs the heroes, "We have discovered an enemy base in the region!"  
An enemy base? Mama Mia! It's Bowser!  
Polari adds, "We can only hope they are not misusing the power of that poor Grand Star..."  
Well of course he is, all Bowser ever does is misuse things for his own pleasure!  
I use a Spin Attack at a Launch Star to launch myself to the enemy base. Sonic has a bunch of Orange Wisps gather and do an Extreme Orange Rocket to launch him to the enemy base.  
Here we are. Bowser or Bowser Jr. could be anywhere now.  
Oh? It's Larry Koopa in his little Clown Kart! I wonder why he's here instead of his father or brother...  
"HAHAHA!!! Didn't expect ta see ME here, did ya, Mario?" Larry cackles. "You took my brother away, now where is he?"  
Huh? I didn't take any of the Koopalings away... What is he talking about?  
"Don't give me the silent treatment! Junior left a note for Papa that said 'Help! I got captured by Mario!' We know you have him, now where is he?!"  
"Woah woah now, buddy," Sonic says for me, "Mario's a good guy, he'd never do anything like that!"  
I shake my head in agreement. First Bowser lies to Junior that I kidnapped Peach, now Junior lies to his father about me kidnapping him? What even happened to him anyway?  
"Don't you lie to ME!!!!!" Larry roars.  
A floating robot in the shape of Dr. Eggman's head floats up to Sonic.  
"Hello, Sonic!" It says in Dr. Eggman's voice. "You are about to face one of Bowser Jr.'s robots, but I added some of my own genius upgrades to it! Try to defeat it now, you pesky little hedgehog and plumber! HOHOHOHO!!!!!" The robot then flies up next to Larry.  
Hm, I wonder which robot of Bowser Jr.'s this is. And I wonder what Eggman did to it...  
"Get 'em Megaleg!" Larry Koopa commands. "Crush 'em just like Junior would've wanted ya to!"  
Megaleg? Okay, Megaleg is easy, this will be a piece of cake!  
"You got this, Mario?" Sonic asks.  
I answer with a nod.  
"Okay, go get him!" Sonic smiles with a thumbs up. He's honestly the most positive encouraging creature in the universe!  
Alright, just like you did before... Run up the leg, lead the Bullet Bill to hit the fence surrounding the Grand Star... BOOM! That was easy!  
What? Wha - AAAAAAAGH!!!! The thing is floating?! How is it floating?! Maybe this is part of Eggman's upgrade!  
The robot resembling Eggman's head then says, "HOHOHO, didn't see that coming, did you Mario?"  
No, I didn't...  
It then floats up to Sonic and says, "Hm, Megaleg? More like EGGaleg! HOHOHO! Try to keep up with this thing now Sonic, or its death to your friend Mario!"  
Oh no! Death to me? Nonsense, Sonic always defeats anything Eggman creates!  
"IYIYIYIYIYI!" Megaleg is moving way too fast! I'm holding on to the fence around the Grand Star right now for my life!  
"Right behind ya, Mario!" Sonic calls out as he keeps up. "This is a lot like the Egg Beetle, so I know how to beat it!"  
Megaleg constantly tries to smash Sonic and fire Bullet Bills at him, but Sonic dodges them. Pinchers?! Megaleg has PINCHERS now?! Come on Eggman...  
Sonic uses his Homing Attack to weaken the machine.  
"Okay, Mario, the thing's down!" Sonic calls out. "Finish it up!"  
Okay here we go! All I need to do is lead a Bullet Bill to hit a section of the fence, then lead it to hit the glass around the Grand Star! I need to be quick though, because the fences regenerate...  
BOOM! That was easy! And... Come on now... Just one more time and you got it... BOOM! Yahoo!  
I jump off Megaleg as it explodes. There's the Grand Star! And a Chaos Emerald too!  
"Nice job, Mario!" Sonic hi-fives me. "You did great!"  
"You too, Sonic!" I'm pretty sure Sonic had to do a lot more work than me...  
What? What's happening? The Grand Star is spinning, but I didn't touch it... AH! It's blinding me!  
Oh good, I can see now. Wait, I'm back at the Comet Observatory. How did I get here? The Grand Stars always fly me back here just like all the other Power Stars!  
Oh look, there's Rosalina standing there with her eyes closed. I wonder what she's thinking about...  
"Rosalina!" I try to get her attention.  
Suddenly, Rosalina opened her eyes. Her eyebrows raised, her mouth agape, and she gasped.  
Young Master Luma flies up to her and asks, "What's the matter, Mama?"  
Wait - Young Master Luma? What are you doing there? Aren't you in my hat - no? Luma!!!!  
Rosalina rushes toward the giant turquoise Beacon and stares at it in shock.  
"The Grand Stars are speaking to me!" she announces.  
Wait - Grand STARS? We only just got one Grand Star!  
"I see a huge, monstrous turtle named Bowser... There's his children... There's one of his daughters... Now I see two Italian twins named Mario and Luigi... Who are these animals?" Rosalina looks confused.  
"Rosalina! Yoo-hoo!" Why can't she notice me? I'm right here! She knows who I am!  
Young Master Luma then demands, "Mama! Are you sure nothing's wrong?"  
Rosalina looks back at Luma. "Yes, Young Master Luma everything is fine. Worry not," she answers. Then she looks back at the Beacon.  
"I see three hedgehogs... a white one, a black one, and a blue one... What's the point?... Now I see a fox - wait, no, TWO foxes - with two tails... The female's eyes are black and she is acting like an evil villain, and the other fox is there scared... There's... fire... And this Solaris god..."  
Okay, she's clearly talking about Sonic, Silver, and Shadow, and the foxes are clearly Tails and Pumpkin. Have I heard Sonic mention Solaris? I probably have.  
Suddenly, the Dark Star hovered into the starship and landed in front of Rosalina.  
Oh no! Rosalina! Watch out! I run up with my hammer, about to hit the Dark Star, and...  
What? Mama Mia, I just went straight through it! This whole thing must be a flashback then...  
"MAMA!!!!!" Young Master Luma calls, "Something's wrong with the invisible force field! The Dark Star wouldn't've made it in here!"  
"Hush, my little one," Rosalina says softly, raising her wand. "This is helpful." Then she slowly lowered her wand.  
The Dark Star flew away quickly like a comet, then she said, "The Dark Star is doing somewhat of a misdeed, yet a good deed 1,000 years in the future. I know not what it would do..." she closed her eyes, looked down, and sighed. Then she opened her eyes, looked back up at the Beacon, and announced,  
"The Dark Star has chosen. There has been a prophecy." Rosalina closes her eyes and recites,  
"'Two, sisters of brothers, shall bring light to the cunning darkness'..."  
'Two sisters of brothers'? What does that mean? She could possibly be talking about Bowsay and Pumpkin, but they've turned evil! And she mentioned how the Dark Star would do a good deed. Well Bowsay had the Dark Star's power... But Bowsay is evil! How can she fulfill this prophecy?  
Wait... Who's that over there? I'm just seeing him now. Little thing, red cape, giant smile... Fawful?! He was eavesdropping the whole time?! Maybe HE's the one behind Bowsay being evil! He wanted the power of the Dark Star anyways!  
Mama Mia, the flashback must be ending because everything is fading...  
"Mario?" I hear Sonic's voice interrupt my thoughts. "Mario, you okay man?"  
"Yes, thank you," I answer. But I'm still shocked from the whole flashback...  
"Okay, well while you were out, I found a Gaia temple nearby and put the Chaos Emerald there, and it safely made it back to Earth!" Sonic informs. "By the way, I found my buddy Chip, and I'd like you to meet him!"  
A small creature with tiny wings and burgundy and white fur slowly flies from behind Sonic.  
"Don't worry, Chip, Mario's a friend!" Sonic tells him.  
"Okay!" Chip comes out from behind Sonic and says, "Hi, Mario! I'm Chip! Want some chocolate?"  
Oh, um, sure, chocolate is great! Wow, this little dude seems cool!  
"Now, Mario, are you ready to get that Grand Star?" Sonic asks.  
Ready as I'll ever be, Sonic!  
I jump up and claim the Grand Star. "Wahoo!"  
As Sonic and I are transported back to the Comet Observatory, Rosalina says, "Wonderful, Mario and Sonic, you two have brought us the first Grand Star! You only need six more to go, and then we will be able to travel to your special ones!"  
Yahoo! Just like before! We're coming for you, Peach and Amy!  
Sonic then says to me, "Hey Mario, I really need to talk to you."  
"Sure, what's up, Sonic?" Go ahead and tell me anything!  
"And this is serious," Sonic leads us to a place where no one else can listen, "because I haven't told anyone else this... Other than Tails..."  
"Okay, what is the matter?" This must be very serious then if he only told Tails... What could it be?  
"I... I..."  
"Sonic, it's okay, you can tell me anything!" Mama Mia, I've never seen Sonic shy before, he's usually so outgoing! He was just then when we were defeating Megaleg!  
"I... I don't feel like anyone likes me."  
"What?" No one liking Sonic? How can anyone not like Sonic? That's crazy!  
"I mean it. I may seem like this hedgehog who's always so positive, but all of it is to hide my insecurities around everyone."  
"What insecurities?"  
"I feel like everyone around me hates the fact that I seem so positive all the time. They assume that because they never see me complain about anything means my life is perfect and I've never had any problems. They assume that I can't relate to them, so they don't talk to me."  
"Well, what problems HAVE you had, Sonic?" That hedgehog sure knows how to hide things...  
"In all honesty, I never knew my parents. Especially my mom. I don't know what happened to her. When I was a baby hedgehog, I went on a quest to find my mother along with my brother Manic and my sister Sonia. We made a vow our mother would be found, but we never found her, and then Dr. Eggman separated us. I haven't seen them since, and I don't know where they are or if they're even still alive. But I'm determined to stop Eggman and all his schemes, so that hopefully, one day, I'll see them again."  
Wow, Sonic really has been through a lot in his life... He's really strong.  
"The thing is that I never complain about my problems 24-7 and I keep them to myself. I move on from them and I don't let them hold me back. The ones who DO let their problems hold them back are the ones who don't like me."  
"Like who, Sonic? Who would think that about you?" I love how Sonic is always positive, that's something everyone should love about him!  
"For example, Shadow. I know he's been through a whole lot, more than I could ever handle. All he ever thinks about is Maria. I understand that he does a lot of things for her, and that's a good thing to do. And all I wanna do is be there for him as a friend, but he just won't let me in and won't realize how much I care about him.  
"And Knuckles. He used to hate me a whole lot back when we were rivals. He can get way too defensive when it comes to the Master Emerald. I know he's been on my side on a lot of adventures, but I get the feeling that he still hates me and only wants to bring me down in the end just like he wanted to before.  
"Silver isn't as much of a problem, but sometimes he's not always interested in what I'm saying. He used to think I was responsible for destroying his world, and so he tried to kill me. Even though he learned the truth that I wasn't responsible, sometimes I feel like he still wants to kill me.  
"I just feel like I'm too much for everyone. I say things that never need to be said. All I wanna do is be a friend to everyone, but no one will let me be their friend. Everyone would be less annoyed without me. All of you could save the universe without me. That time when Mephiles killed me... I should've stayed dead. I should've never been brought back to life."  
Sonic starts to cry. Mama Mia, I've never seen him cry before, he just poured out a whole bunch of his feelings, and I never would've assumed any of that about him...  
I hug Sonic and pat him on the back, saying, "There there, it's okay. It's-a good-a to be able to let-a your feelings out-a."  
"The only other person who ever understood me was Tails. I would tell him anything and everything, and he was always there for me no matter what. I feel so bad for taking away the time he could've spent with his sister. He told me it wasn't my fault, but, honestly, it was ALL my fault. It hurts me to see him in misery, so I had to let him go so he could find himself. But now that I don't have him there to support me on the biggest adventure yet, I don't know how I'll get through it. He promised he'd come back, but I don't know when or if he ever will."  
Sonic cries harder. I keep hugging him. Poor thing. I hope I'm being a good enough friend right now, because that's what he really needs most.  
As Sonic's crying calms, he says to me, "Thank you for listening, Mario. It's okay if you don't know what to say, but now I know that I'll always have you whenever I need anyone. I don't see why people keep wanting us to go against each other just because we're from different worlds. Maybe it's okay to be friendly rivals in the Olympics, but ever since I met you, you've been and always will be one of my best friends. Thank you, Mario."  
"Thank-a you too! Remember, Sonic, you are a leader on-a this adventure, and we're all-a counting on-a you! You have done-a such a great-a job, and-a your energy only motivates us more! If others do not-a think-a so, then they are irrelevant-a!"  
Sonic and I hug one more time. The hedgehog then wipes his tears away and says, "Well, we got a lot more collecting to do, so let's do it!"  
"Yahoo!" Sonic will be okay, I know it for sure. Let's keep going!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Mario


	47. The Deadly... WHAT???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!! After a long writer's block and not being in the mindset, I'm glad I could finally post another chapter! So how are all of you? I've been doing so much theatre this summer so I'm pretty busy. Plus I'm also getting ready for college, and musical theatre is SUPER hard to get into, so I have to apply to more schools and work extra hard. It's very stressful and nervewracking, but I hope it'll be worth it in the end.  
> JOTC: If Tails lost one of his tails, where would he get a new one from?  
> AOTC: A RE-TAILER! HARHARHAR! ...yeah XD  
> Have a great day, night, wherever you are, and happy reading! Also, shoutout to @smoov22_sonic for uploading this entire fanfic to Archive Of Our Own! Way to get it out there! http://archiveofourown.org/works/7221481?view_full_work=true  
> ~SonicLover24601 <3  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> This is smoov22, the AO3 poster. Thank you to all who have supported the process of bringing this over. 
> 
> QOTC: Who are your favorite Mario/Sonic fic writers other than SonicLover24601?  
> AOTC: Auroraknux (AKA TearsandFlowers), TheEnigmaMachine, and SoruAMVs (on FFN). I also like Unicornfoal's TOME story, "Friends in a Strange Place."
> 
>  
> 
> I have the "Teehee" app, if anyone wants to find me there. Username is smoov22.

Alright! More Power Stars collected and more animals saved! We're on a roll!  
Wait... My Miles Electric senses something nearby... "Junior! Come take a look at this!"  
"What did ya find, Tails?" Junior asks.  
"According to my Miles Electric, there's a Grand Star and a Chaos Emerald nearby in that enemy base!"  
Junior examines my device, then mumbles, "I was originally in charge of that base..."  
"Wait... I'm getting something else... Apparently the Grand Star and Chaos Emerald have already been taken, but there's something else there..."  
Oh! Dusty's trying to tell me something!  
"'There are ill feet that succeed to be meated'... 'There is still evil that needs to be defeated!'"  
"Even with the Grand Star and Chaos Emeralds taken?" Junior questions.  
"It's quite possible, but let me check..." Hm, what else could be there? Could it possibly be Mephiles or Fawful? Could Bowsay and Pumpkin be there?  
Oh no, I didn't wanna see THESE people again...  
"Tails, who is that tall skinny purple guy?" Junior asks.  
"That's Zazz from the Deadly Six."  
"The Deadly Six? Who in the fireballs are the Deadly Six?"  
"The Deadly Six have the power to control technology with their mind," I answer. "One time Dr. Eggman tried to use them for himself, but once they broke free, they tried to drain all the energy from the whole world to use it for themselves. Sonic and I stopped them, but if they're back again, this time they could possibly be trying to drain the whole universe!"  
Sonic and I also argued a lot during that adventure, because there were times when I felt like he didn't trust me...  
"Hm, I never noticed Eggman using them at all last time I was at the base," Junior states.  
"Well they're much more dangerous on their own!" I warn.  
Lubba then pumps us up. "Well, Tails, Junior, if there's any evil that needs to be gone, them go get 'em!"  
"Thanks Lubba," I acknowledge.  
I then turn to Junior and ask, "But Junior, are you sure we can take on something that strong on our own?" I'm not as skilled as Sonic, and I still don't know if I can completely trust Junior...  
"Tails, what are you even talking about? You have the brains! You have amazing technology! You said you've beaten this Deadly Six before, so why can't you do it again?"  
"Well, it was really Sonic who defeated them," I answer. "I just shut down their system. They even captured me and tried to roboticize me, and I've just been deathly afraid of them ever since..." UGH, I shudder at the memory of them trying to roboticize me...  
"So what if they tried to change who you are? They can't!" Junior says. "Like I said, you have the brains and you have the technology! When we fought each other, you did pretty well with your bombs and inventions. Show this Zazz who you really are, and they'll be scared of you just as much as they were of Sonic! And I'll be right there by your side!"  
"Thank you, Junior. That means a lot to me." Wow, I never thought that one of my worst enemies could ever become a great companion. It's crazy how life works sometimes.  
"You two got this!" Lubba motivates us.  
"Don't worry, Lubba, we won't let you down," Junior affirms, and I nod.  
Junior and I are launched to the enemy base. Wow, Mario and Sonic really got this place good. I wish I could've been there to see it...  
"Rotten meat! They completely destroyed my Megaleg! This wouldn't've happened if I was in charge! Papa can't have anyone else protect it worth a crusty cheese curd!"  
Junior examines his ruined invention closer.  
"Oh great - EGGMAN HAD TO ALTER IT??? It was so much better on its own, IT DIDN'T NEED TO CHANGE!!!!!!! Why does everyone have to ruin my masterpieces???"  
"It's okay, Junior, I grew up having all my inventions destroyed too," I reply.  
"Tails you don't understand! I just wanted to show my family how awesome I was and make Papa proud, but they ALWAYS have to be destroyed by Mario!"  
"Well I started making all my inventions to help Pumpkin, but she never got to see them because others always judged me for being her brother, and so they would destroy my inventions..."  
"And now I will destroy you!"  
Junior and I turn around and see Zazz.  
"Why hello there, little fox boy!" Jazz taunts. "Where's your little blue hedgehog friend to save the day? I bet that turtle is far too slow to save you! Hehehehehe!"  
"Listen up you, I'm not who you think I am-!"  
"I got this Junior," I interrupt. "Zazz, I may have been weak before, but I'm not weak anymore! I can protect myself on my own!"  
"Protecting yourself alongside an enemy's son? That's crazy!" Zazz laughs.  
"What... Enemy's son... Junior, I thought you said they weren't working with Bowser and Eggman?" He better not have lied to me, I swear.  
"They weren't," Junior replies. "How do you know who I am? How do you know who my Papa is? I've never seen you before in my life!"  
"Hahahahaha! Your daddy's master plan is TRASH compared to the Deadly Six's!" Zazz insults.  
"Eh, it really is," Junior agrees.  
"Hahahaha! Do you even KNOW what our Master Plan is?" Zazz cackles.  
"No, but I bet it's FAR more dangerous than Papa's," Junior says unenthusiastically.  
"What is the Deadly Six up to this time, Zazz?!" I demand.  
"Why does that matter to you, fox boy?" Zazz sneers. "You won't be able to stop it!"  
"Alright Junior, I'll take this one!" I know how to defeat you, and I'll defeat you hard!  
As Zazz tries to crush me with his yellow sphere, I knock him off his sphere with my Magic Hand. Then, I punch him with my Magic Hand once more.  
Now he's angry and he's shooting stars from his sphere. Nevertheless, he's still easy to hit, and so I knock him off and hit him once more with my Magic Hand.  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" exclaims Zazz. "I didn't think you were that powerful, you little fox boy!" Zazz then flies away.  
Well, sometimes people don't appear as they seem.  
"Wow, that was quite a fight," Junior says. "But what was that guy even doing here?"  
"Probably collecting machines and trying to find energy," I answer. "Sonic and Mario may have fought him, but I'm not sure. If the Chaos Emerald and the Grand Star were already gone, then surely they've already been here. But then why would Zazz be here?"  
Woah, wait... What's happening? The scene appears to be changing around me!  
* * * *  
Where am I now? Wait, is that me when I was younger? Where's Pumpkin? That lady there doesn't completely look like my mother... She appears to be talking to someone on her watch.  
"Miles! How has the experiment been going?" The mother fox asks.  
Wait, Miles? Is she talking to me? Is this the future? Is that my future mate?  
"We still have ways to go. We tried to create it as a giant lizard, but it was not going to work out, so we scratched it. Professor Robotnik and I have come up with another idea, but I have some bad news..."  
A giant lizard? They're not talking about the Biolizard, are they? And Professor Robotnik? This isn't the future, this is a flashback! But how am I in this?  
"Daddy! Daddy!" the baby fox says. "I miss you, Daddy!"  
"I miss you too, Francis!"  
Wait... Francis... That's my father! Then this other Miles must be my grandfather. That's where I get my name! And he worked with Professor Gerald Robotnik?  
"When are you coming back, Daddy?"  
"I don't know, son, but don't you worry!"  
"Francis, how about you go over there and play with your friends?" The mother fox - my grandmother - says.  
"Okay Mama!" Francis replies. "Bye Daddy!"  
"Miles, what's the bad news?" My grandmother asks.  
"In order to help create the Ultimate Life Form, Professor Robotnik asked for aid from the leader of the Black Arms..."  
Black Doom! That's the alien who created Shadow! I remember him! And my grandfather knew him?  
"What's so wrong with that?"  
"Ivy... This is the same monster that took away our little Bella..."  
Wait, Bella? Who's Bella? It seems like she was their daughter. And Black Doom took her away? I had an aunt that I never knew and never will know?  
My grandmother gasps and doesn't say anything.  
"Don't worry, Ivy, he's not gonna cause any harm to me or anyone else on this colony. I'm not gonna let him."  
"Oh Miles, do be careful!"  
"He will be sorry one day for what he did to her!"  
"But Miles, remember, he's really powerful! He could end your life just as easily!"  
"So what? I'm not afraid of him! And this next prototype of the Ultimate Life Form will be able to destroy him right back!"  
And that next prototype was Shadow.  
* * * *  
"Tails?" Junior's voice says as the scene changes back to the present. "Tails, you good man?"  
"I... I'm fine, I just learned something..."  
"What did you learn?" Junior asks.  
"My grandfather was a scientist who worked Professor Gerald Robotnik, and apparently I had an aunt that I never knew... because Black Doom, the creator of Shadow, killed her..."  
"My, isn't that tragic," Junior slightly dismisses. "Well, we need to get back to the base!"  
I have so many questions now... Did my grandfather ever handle Black Doom? What happened to him? Why did I not know about him on my other adventures at the Space Colony ARK? Does it have anything to do with this adventure now? Maybe I will know, maybe I won't. What matters is that everything turns out alright in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narrator: Tails


	48. Pumpkin's Backstory Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE!!!!!!! How many of y'all have started school? I just finished a week of senior year... It's so crazy because I can't fully process the fact that I'm a senior. IT FEELS SO WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, this will probably be my only chapter in awhile, because now I've started school, I'll be doing all that theatre stuff plus applying for colleges. It is already so STRESSFUL!!!!!!!! I always try to post whenever I can.  
> Good luck with school, life, wherever you are, and happy reading!  
> ~SonicLover24601

"So... This is the empire Dimentio envisioned?"  
"Yes, Pumpkin, and it looks so great!" Bowsay responds. "As soon as it's finished, not even Papa will be able to tear it down!"  
"Well, that's good..."  
"Pumpkin, what's the matter? Aren't you excited for this?"  
"Oh, I am... I don't know, I just... Ever since I encountered Black Doom, I've just had this feeling..."  
"What feeling?"  
"I... I feel like there's something about me that I still don't know about. I feel like I still don't know entirely who I am. But the way I feel around Black Doom just feels so... familiar. I'm just dying to know this secret he knows about Tails, and about me..."  
"Well, once we have all the Chaos Emeralds and the Pure Hearts, we'll know everything about who we are," Bowsay replies. "But we can only do this if we keep working!"  
Yeesh, Bowsay, take a breather...  
"ROSETTE! VIOLET! Any signs of Pure Hearts?"  
"We detected one over here at one of your father's bases," Violet answers.  
"DON'T EVEN CALL HIM MY FATHER!"  
"We're very sorry, Bowsay," Rosette replies. "It seems like the base has already been visited, but there is still a Pure Heart there."  
"Excellent," Bowsay smiles evilly.  
I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like Bowsay is starting to change and treat all her former friends like slaves ever since we started building the empire, especially Rosette and Violet. Those two are a huge reason we were able to escape from Eggman's base in the first place, they don't need all this weight to carry.  
"What about Chaos Emeralds?" I add.  
"Unfortunately, the Chaos Emerald was taken," Violet admits.  
"You know what, it's actually okay. Neither Sonic nor Eggman can get all seven because I always carry one with me."  
"Good to know," Bowsay says rudely. Um, Bowsay, what's your problem?  
"Well, Pumpkin, use your Chaos Control and take us to the Pure Heart!!!" Bowsay demands. You're my partner, Bowsay, not my boss, I don't take orders from you. What's happened to you?  
"Chaos CONTROL!"  
Whoa, this place looks beat up...  
"Pumpkin! You might wanna take a look here...!"  
Wha - what is that? It looks like a cross between a giant maggot and a dragon...  
"Come, Black Bull! Burn this entire city and its inhabitants to ash!"  
"Wha - Bowsay, did you hear that?"  
"Hear what, Pumpkin?"  
"I heard a voice, and it called that monster Black Bull, and it said to burn a city, even though we're not even in a city." But it sounded so familiar...  
"It must have only been you, Pumpkin," Bowsay answers.  
"Never mind that, we have to destroy it!"  
Hm, is this even a joke? It hardly looks terrifying at all. I'll have it burned to ashes in minutes.  
What... I'm giving it all the fire I got, but it doesn't seem to be doing any damage...  
"Pumpkin! We need to find its weak spot!"  
Right, weak spot... Where could that be?  
AHA! It's his eye! The rest of this will be a piece of cake!  
"CHAOS CONTROL!"  
As the Black Bull Starts to slow down, I hit it non-stop with pyrokinesis. That was nothing.  
Wait, what's happening? Everything around me is changing...  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
Woah... Where am I? It seems I'm at a space station of some sorts...  
"Bowsay? Bowsay, where are you?" Great, I lost Bowsay now...  
Wait... I hear voices. Where are those coming from?  
Oh great. There are people coming. They're gonna see me. I'm dead now.  
Hold on... Can they see me? They keep walking and don't even acknowledge me...  
WOAH WOAH WOAH... Did that person just walk through me??? I must be in a flashback then...  
What's that room over there? It's locked, no one is going there... But I can just walk through the wall.  
In the room is an elderly scientist and... Black Doom? What's he doing here?  
"How is the Ultimate Life Form coming along, Robotnik?" Black Doom asks.  
Robotnik? That can't be THE Professor Gerald Robotnik... can it? They must be creating Shadow! He was created from Black Doom's blood!  
"It's quite complicated, Black Doom," Dr. Robotnik answers. "I am still working on its health and power. It is very difficult to man-make another living organism."  
"But you have my blood in order to give it life, therefore it should not be so difficult!"  
"I apologize, my lord! I am doing my best!"  
"YOUR BEST IS NOT ENOUGH! I don't wish to waste my time helping you only for you to make a useless offspring. Work harder, Gerald."  
"Yes, my lord."  
Well, Shadow was definitely not useless in the end!  
"Have I come in at an appropriate time?"  
Who is that behind me? ...it's a fox scientist. I didn't think they had other animals that intelligent back then.  
"Miles! It's about time!" Robotnik acknowledges.  
"You're late, Dr. Prower," Black Doom says.  
Wait... Dr. Prower... Miles... No... It can't be... That can't be my father... It's too far back in time. That must be my grandfather though! I remember Father telling me about him. He said he was very smart. But I didn't know he worked with Gerald Robotnik, the greatest scientist ever! That's where Tails gets his big brain from! And that's who he was named after!  
"My apologies, my lord. Gerald, how is the prototype coming along?"  
"It is coming slowly," Robotnik answers. "There is still a lot of tweaking to do, but I believe it will turn out decent in the end!"  
"I will not take decent as a result," Black Doom informs.  
"May I take a look at it?" My grandfather asks.  
Robotnik presses buttons and reveals the experiment.  
Gosh, I really wanna take a look at Shadow... Eh, they can't see me, I'll be fine.  
What... No... That's not Shadow. That's not even a hedgehog. That's a fox. Is that... me? That can't be me... There's no way that's me... There's no way I was created in a lab... I thought Shadow was the Ultimate Life Form? I was born along with Tails, there's no way I'm the Ultimate Life Form... It's too far back in time for me to even exist.  
"Impressive!" my grandfather acclaims. "It looks just like my daughter!"  
His... Daughter? I thought he was on Father's side of the family? Or do I have an aunt that I didn't know about?  
"I don't care about your daughter, Prower," Black Doom interrupts. "All I care about is the result of the Ultimate Life Form, and it is currently not where it should be. All it can do is fly with two tails. It is too weak."  
Ooooo Black Doom, I'm gonna PUNCH you for calling me weak... I knew there was something suspicious about you. I can obviously do more than just fly with two tails!!!!!  
Interrupting before my grandfather could get angry, Professor Robotnik asks, "What do you suggest we do, Black Doom?"  
"Throw it away. Start from scratch."  
W... W... What? They're gonna throw me... away?  
"Yes sir," says Robotnik.  
"Wait! Please!" my grandfather interrupts. "Black Doom, I know you want this to be the best you can be, and Prof. Robotnik and I are very experienced scientists, so with just a little more work-"  
"I don't care how experienced you are, there are too many flaws in the prototype that cannot be fixed," Black Doom states.  
"But my lord! It's almost done! It's nearly complete! All we need to do is make a few adjustments and-"  
"It's FAR from complete, Miles!" Black Doom roars. "Trying to complete it now will be a waste of time. Just look at it now! All it has is two tails, nothing else. The best thing to do is start over from scratch."  
Two tails that killed my mother...  
"Gerald, you agree with me, don't you? We can complete Project Shadow and make this prototype the Ultimate Life Form! ...Gerald?"  
Project Shadow? No, it can't be... I was possibly gonna be the Ultimate Life Form before Shadow was made. But if I wasn't finished, then how am I alive now?  
"I'm sorry, Miles, but Black Doom is right. This prototype is too flawed to be fixed now. It can hardly do anything. We need to start over from scratch. We did that with the Biolizard, we can do it with the fox. It's the only thing we can do now."  
"Gerald... What are you saying? You can't give up now. We've been partners for years! You've achieved so much, you've never given up on anything, and you've never let anyone get in your way! You've inspired so many scientists, including me! You can't let us down! Why are you doing this now?"  
"Why are you questioning my ways, Miles Prower?" Black Doom interrupts. "If you scratched the Biolizard, you can also scratch the fox. I gave an order, so you must obey."  
"I'll never obey any orders from you ever again," my grandfather says firmly. "My daughter was a great girl, and you took her life away. That's right, Black Doom, I knew the whole time. I wasn't THAT stupid to start working with you."  
What? My father had a sister I never knew? And... Black Doom... killed her?  
"Miles, please don't-" Prof. Robotnik says in concern.  
"You don't really wanna help the military with Project Shadow. All you want are the Chaos Emeralds and all the immortality in the world to yourself! You always want more and you never appreciate what you already have!"  
"Miles, please, it could be the only way to cure Maria's Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome!"  
Ignoring Robotnik, Grandfather continues, "You took Bella's life away. One day, Pumpkin will take yours away just as easily!"  
Bella... That was the name of my aunt. Grandfather made me look like her in memory of her. He really loved me and I never even knew him.  
"What? Pumpkin?" Robotnik asks, confused.  
"Oh yeah, that's right, I gave it a name. And she'll be a great companion for Francis!"  
Francis... That's my father! He was originally gonna be my adopted brother instead of Tails? That's... weird.  
"I didn't agree to help make a companion, I agreed to help make the Ultimate Life Form!!!" Black Doom roars. He then raises his arm, and grandfather falls on the floor.  
What? Father told me grandfather died during a science experiment, but he didn't tell me he was murdered!  
"Now Gerald, will you take my orders?"  
Oh no... Robotnik, please no...  
"Gerald... Please... Listen to me..." Grandfather struggles.  
As he pauses for awhile, Robotnik finally answers, "I will, my lord."  
NO! You idiot! My grandfather died for you and that's how you repay him??? I know where the Doctor got his evilness from now...  
"If you inform anyone of what I did to Miles or his daughter, I will do the same to you," Black Doom warns, and then he disappears.  
"Gerald... Why... How could you leave me... After all that we've done for each other... You were my partner... You were my closest friend..."  
"Miles, please understand... I had to do this to save myself. But I can make things right. I will save Maria. Everything will turn out right."  
"Please, Gerald... Do it... for Bella..." my grandfather takes his final breath.  
I had no idea about any of this... My grandfather really was a great man. He had a brilliant mind and he was set on making things better. He never gave up on anything. He died for me, for his best friend, and for the good of everyone. He was a true hero. And he never got any credit.  
At least he never abandoned me, unlike my father.  
Oh no, what's Robotnik about to do with me now...  
Wait... He's typing in a passcode... He's changing it! ...64537? What does that mean?  
Robotnik then rushes to his desk and starts typing. Oh wow, what could he be doing now...  
"Hello? Ivy, are you there?"  
"Hi! I'm Francis!"  
Father... He was only a pup when his father died... And that's how old I was when Mother died.  
"Mama! Mama! A man wants to talk to you!"  
"Oh, yes, thank you, Francis. Hello?"  
"Ivy! It's Gerald, Gerald Robotnik, and I'm calling with some terrible news."  
"Oh no! How is Project Shadow going?"  
"It's not going very well at the moment."  
"Is Miles there? Can I talk to him please?"  
Ignoring her, Robotnik continues, "I will be sending you a package of something Miles really loved. It's all that's left of him and Bella."  
"What do you mean 'it's all that's left of him and Bella'? Professor Robotnik, where is he? Please tell me what happened!"  
"Please, call me Gerald. Listen, Ivy, if anyone else finds out that I told you, then I'm dead! Miles and I were working on creating the Ultimate Life Form, and then he realized something that I didn't. I had made a promise with Black Doom, the leader of the Black Arms race, that he would help me with my research as long as I gave him the Chaos Emeralds in fifty years. Earlier, Black Doom wasn't satisfied with the work Miles and I put into creating the Ultimate Life Form, and so he ordered us to start over from scratch. Miles refused to start over because the prototype looked just like... his daughter, Bella."  
Professor Robotnik takes a deep breath and continues.  
"Black Doom got so angry, but Miles wouldn't let him hold him back. I should've said something in his defense, but... I didn't. And then, Black Doom... murdered him."  
"No... No... Robotnik, how...?" Ivy stutters.  
"I told Black Doom that I would listen to his orders in order to save myself, but Miles did the right thing. He saw the true evil in Black Doom the whole time, and he didn't let it get by him. He was a true hero in that moment.  
"What I am sending you is the nearly-complete prototype that he was determined to finished. The passcode to open it is 64537. That's spells MILES. I changed the passcode in remembrance of his sacrifice. But be careful with it, because it is made of Black Doom's blood and it is flawed. And now, I am going to develop a weapon that will destroy the Black Comet and defeat the Black Arms."  
He must be talking about the Eclipse Cannon.  
"I'm so sorry Gerald..." Ivy says.  
"No, Ivy, I'M sorry. I could've stopped his death, but I didn't, and I regret it greatly. But from now on, I will make sure his death wasn't for nothing. He was my partner and my best friend, and I'm not gonna let him down."  
"Mama! Mama! What happened?"  
"Not now, Francis... Thank you, Gerald. You will be in my prayers. Good luck with your weapon. I know you can do it."  
"Thank you, Ivy."  
"Mama! Mama! What's happening?"  
\---  
What was that? Why was I seeing all that? Why do I need to know about it? I'm so confused...  
"Pumpkin? Pumpkin, are you alright?" Bowsay interrupts my thoughts.  
"I don't know... I don't know."  
"What's wrong?" Bowsay asks.  
"I learned who I really am... Or at least what I really am."  
"Well, what are you then?"  
"I'm a science experiment."  
"What?"  
I explain it all to Bowsay.  
"Wow... Pumpkin, I had no idea..."  
"I didn't either."  
"Did he reveal any more secrets about Tails?"  
"Well, no... But now that I know all this, I don't think he was referring to Tails when he said he knew a secret about my brother."  
But who could he have been referring to? How can I have a sibling if I was created in a lab?  
Wait... I know of someone else who has the same genetic material as me. He was also created from Black Doom's blood.  
I always felt a connection with him. I never knew why, but I know exactly why now. So many questions have been answered. But so many questions still have yet to be answered.  
"Pumpkin? What is it?"  
I turn around firmly. I know who my brother is.  
"Shadow is my brother."


End file.
